A Reporter Complains

There's news today that two more union contracts were settled last this week. That's good news.

But for a reporter, this turn events is very frustrating.

At Wednesday's press conference, I asked the mayor four or five questions about the other pending union negotiations. In effect, she didn't answer any of them. She danced around them, relying on "not publicly discussing ongoing negotiations." One of the questions was pretty much "are other contracts close." She pretty much completely didn't answer that one. (If you really want to watch the oh so awesome display, I think you can download video here. If not, try here.)

Of course they were close to completion. She settled them a day or two later. But instead of even expressing optimism that something else might happen soon, she completely clammed up.

After I asked my first question, I knew I wasn't getting anything out of her. I decided to ask a few more questions, mostly to send some kind of signal that her non-answers were frustrating. I didn't want to grandstand, but I did want to push a little bit. I might have pushed harder, in retrospect.

She can say or not say what she wants to the public and the media. She's committed no great crime or treason by not spilling her guts. But if nothing else, that was the perfect example of the conservative nature of this Mayor's Office when it comes to publicly talking about things it might not want to talk about. From Day 1, Wong has a discipline that maintains walls around what she wants walls around. Whether it's a press conference, at an event, or in a one-on-one, she's very disciplined about what she says -- and what she doesn't say. Wednesday was a great example of that. I asked my four or five questions, but halfway through her answer to the first one, I knew I was banging my head against a stone wall.

I wonder if the public cares. As a reporter, I don't think it would have done any damage to express optimism that some contracts might be close, and that things were going smoothly. Heck, she wouldn't give insight into the character of the negotiations and her relationship with the unions.

I guess in the end, results matter. She's getting these things settled, and you'd have to think more are going to get done very soon. But a touch more sunshine -- not giving away the farm, but being a little more accomodating -- wouldn't hurt.