Facebook posts, online commentary, and citizen watchdog pages were described as drivers of confusion, hostility, and mistrust.
That framing gets it backwards.
Social Media Didn’t Create the Frustration — It Exposed It
Social media didn’t create the frustration people are expressing. It exposed it. You don’t get thousands of residents angry about the same issues unless something real is happening underneath. People aren’t upset because someone made a post — they’re upset because they can’t get straight answers, basic records, or clear explanations about decisions that directly affect their lives.
This isn’t a messaging problem. It’s a transparency problem.
These Are Real Issues With Real Consequences
When residents ask questions about major issues — the datacenter deal, deep well injection, long-term environmental risks, or why NIPSCO bills have exploded to levels families simply can’t afford — they’re not doing it for clicks or attention. They’re doing it because these decisions hit their wallets, their health, and their future.
Too often, those questions are met with silence, deflection, or hostility instead of facts.
When Information Is Withheld, People Fill in the Blanks
That’s when people turn to social media. Not because they want drama, but because it’s the only place left where information gets shared, patterns get noticed, and concerns don’t immediately disappear into a bureaucratic void.
Are mistakes made by citizens trying to piece things together? Sure. But that’s not because people are acting in bad faith. It’s because so much information is hidden, delayed, redacted, or locked behind paywalls that the public is forced to fill in the blanks.
When government operates in the dark, people will use whatever light they can find.
Blaming the Public Is Easier Than Fixing the Problem
What’s frustrating — and frankly insulting — is watching officials collectively take shots at the very people who are trying to understand what’s going on, while ignoring the root cause of the anger.
Complaining about Facebook posts is easier than answering hard questions. Blaming “misinformation” is more comfortable than admitting transparency has failed.
This Is What Leadership Actually Looks Like
Leadership isn’t standing at a podium and criticizing social media. Leadership is making sure residents don’t need social media to understand their government.
It’s responding to records requests without delay, obstruction, or attitude. It’s not ignoring citizens, pushing back when questions get uncomfortable, or telling people to open their wallets just to see public information they already paid for with their taxes.
Why I’m Running
I’m exhausted by a system that treats transparency as an inconvenience instead of a responsibility. I’m exhausted by being stonewalled, brushed off, or priced out of public records that should be readily available.
That exhaustion is exactly why I’m running for county commissioner — because accountability shouldn’t depend on who you know, how persistent you are, or how much money you’re willing to spend just to get the truth.
The Fix Is Simple
If officials want less anger online, the solution is simple: open the books, answer the questions, and start treating transparency like the obligation it is — not the nuisance they wish would go away.