One commenter has tried to make an issue of the trouble Councilman Ron Edinger had in hearing several questions posed to him during his candidate's forum with newcomer Toby Schindelbeck. Jeff Crowe of CdA TV offers a possible answer why Ediinger had a problem:

"I wondered if somebody was going to try to make something of this.  Yes it could be a technical issue.  We had  the stage volume down on the stage speakers for the first session.  I generally have the speaker/PA low on the stage which allows me to turn the mics up as loud as I need without worrying about feed back.  I do this as I don't know how loud each candidate is going to be.  We don't get a rehearsal opportunity for these events so we are going in "on the fly".

"We did turn the stage volume up part of the way through the first session when we realized we had on of the panelists talking very quietly and very close-up into his mic.  Often when folks come in to use mics, who are not used to hearing their voices amplified, tend to get close to the mic and talk quietly.  I am sure the panelist could hear himself fine, as could the audience.  However, the folks on the stage at the beginning of the first session, were relying strictly on the voice-carry of the panelist. 

"Another possibility might not involve volume at all.   After the event, a few folks said they had an issue with this panelist, not because they could not hear him, but that he was talking so fast they could not understand him. 

"I believe Steve Adams, who was in the second group (after the PA had been turned up) had to ask this same panelist to repeat his first or second question.  Has anyone questioned his hearing?  Or might there be a bit of age discrimination involved here?"

J.Crowe
CdA-TV

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