DN Editorial: Fowl play?

IS THERE a conspiracy to keep the public from the review of a proposal for a duck-boat operator to paddle on the Schuylkill?

Some people think so. A committee of city agencies is meeting at the behest of the managing director's office to review details of a proposal submitted by Ride the Ducks to move its operations from the Delaware. The office is staying mum on the names of the members to avoid having them subjected to pressure. We don't like the idea of closing off opportunities for public input, but we don't think that's what is going on here.

Opening up the process for reviewing the thousands of proposals the city awards each year to public input is a bad and expensive idea. That said, public anxiety about the process shouldn't be dismissed. But we think it's more about fear that despite a public hearing on the matter, the deal's already done.

Advocates for or against the duck boats should apply as much pressure as they can to the one person who has the power to make the final decision: the mayor.

And in the future, the city should consider adding a member of the public to committees reviewing proposals that will affect the city as a whole. *