As a neighborhood newspaper reporter/photographer I must cover meetings where the speakers convey plans of a new development or road or bridge repair to the public, "the audience."
They are all similar. The speakers slickly present what the city has decided, and ask for questions from the audience. The audience asks, "Will you be taking our input here into account?"
The former environmentalist hired by the city because the pay was better says, "We are always interested in the concerns of the public, however these are the final plans."
Then the audience asks, "Then why were we asked to this meeting? Couldn't you have sent us a flier instead?"
Then the another presenter, usually a tall man in a tie with silver hair steps up to the mike to the rescue, "Our engineers have studied this blah blah blah and feel that the best way to blah blah blah is to..."
Then the audience snickers to one another as if to say, "The wrong damn people are in charge of this city."
