Few people say that institutional
528 H.L. Schachter
investors are apathetic when they do not hold proxy contests on their own dime. The
availability of such convenience factors as child care and food at public meetings
seem trivial issues until you have a child and no baby sitter on meeting night, or you
can only attend the meeting straight from work with no time to stop for nourishment.
Halvorsen (2003, 537) spoke highly of a deliberative session in Minnesota sponsored
by the U. S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service where participants ate dinner
together while discussing policy issues which did “provide a comfortable setting that
was an efficient, convenient use of time.” How many agencies structure involvement
opportunities to be that convenient? Not many forums are scheduled in that way.