Citizens of Woodside

Citizens of Woodside, also known as COW, is a political blog and community activist group, founded in August 2005. It is focused on the Town of Woodside, California. The blog’s primary concern is with good governance, fairness, and transparency on the part of the government of Woodside, as well as educating the community on issues facing the Town and increasing political participation in local government decisions.

The site has posted numerous features on what it claims are inconsistencies and favoritism in permitting processes and other Town actions. The blog often uses humor and political cartoons to make fun of controversial Town policies and actions.

Activities
Citizens of Woodside mainly focuses on posts responding to and critiquing or praising the actions of the Town Council and Planning Commission of Woodside. These posts usually highlight events that are underreported or irregular, in order to inform the wider community. In addition to the blog, the group publishes two newsletters a year that are mailed to local residents, containing extracts of posts and community news.

The site maintains a calendar of community events, including Woodside Town Council and Planning Commission meetings. It also lists the contact information for Woodside governmental officials.

In keeping with the site’s “COW” moniker, the blog posts are peppered with cow puns, and the site hosts holiday cow-themed cards, local children’s cow art, and funny cow videos.

Controversy

In February 2007, Citizens of Woodside raised more than $30,000 to pay for the video recording and streaming of Town Council meetings over the internet, as most neighboring municipalities do. The money was refused by the Town Manager and the Town Council.

In response, Citizens of Woodside used the money to purchase the necessary equipment, and has begun recording the Woodside Town Council meetings and streaming them over the internet on their website.

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