[Comp625]

In the time that I've spent on the City-Data forums, I've often said to myself that the feedback presented in these forums would be incredibly useful if I were in a decision-making role within politics or the community. These messageboards allow for the vocalization of opinions without getting into unproductive and heated debates (a la real-life town hall meetings). The discussions are often very calm, civil, and almost academic in nature.

Since the feedback here is usually very thorough and well thoughtout, does anyone know if politicians or community leaders acutally visit our forums? If not, is there a way to encourage participation (even if it's in limited fashion)? Agian, I'd imagine that our forums are a treasure trove for useful feedback from citizens, as opposed to relying on advisers or real-life shout matches.