[Vision2020] Wasted Money: City Level

[Joe Campbell]

Teabagers? Any thoughts on this?

I didn't think so!

Joe Campbell

On Apr 21, 2009, at 12:38 AM, "Saundra Lund" <sslund_2007 at verizon.net>  
wrote:

> Visionaries:
>
> Wow -- I just watched the City Council vote to spend  ***our***  
> money to
> help two City Council members retain legal counsel to figure out  
> whether or
> not they have to comply with Idaho Public Records Law with respect to
> official business conducted from "private" email accounts.  In a  
> nutshell,
> our money is going to be spent to try to figure out how to get  
> around Idaho
> Public Records law.
>
> Of course, it's a no brainer that once public officials choose to use
> "private" email accounts for public business, they lose the  
> expectation of
> privacy with respect to official business they conduct from those  
> "private"
> email accounts.  More concerning, I think, is the use of "private"  
> email
> accounts to conduct public business in an attempt to avoid both  
> legitimate
> public record requests *and* public scrutiny of public business.
>
> This is just crazy -- our City Council, led by John Weber and egged  
> on by
> Gary Riedner, just agreed to spend $2500 for *initial* legal advice  
> for
> *each* of the two City Council members (Steed and Krauss) -- out of a
> legislative available pool of  $10,000 -- who are apparently balking  
> at
> turning over public records. Spend Crazy Weber made it clear
> we-the-taxpayers should be on the hook for as much money as it takes  
> for
> these two Council members to fight complying with public records  
> law.  And
> Weber also felt perfectly comfortable in making a snarky response to  
> the
> sole Council member who wasn't comfortable giving carte blanche in  
> the form
> of an open checkbook to defend the attempt to *not* comply with  
> Idaho Public
> Records Law.  Clearly, the expectation of professional conduct in  
> conducting
> public business is far and above Weber's abilities.
>
> The fact of the matter is that if they were willing to turn over the  
> items
> that are, by definition, part of the public record, there would be  
> no need
> for *us* to pay for private legal counsel for them.  It will be  
> interesting
> to see what attorneys are going to benefit from this public financial
> windfall.
>
> And, of course, all of this could have been easily avoided had they  
> simply
> used City-supplied email accounts rather than trying to hide things  
> from
> public view for a personal "pet project" that a clear majority of  
> tax payers
> don't support.  The City has been well aware for quite a long time  
> of the
> specific problems with "private" email accounts being used to  
> conduct City
> business, yet they've chosen to take the path of least resistance,  
> which is
> now costing us Real Money, not to mention eroding public confidence.
>
> Not surprisingly, both Council members who are trying to avoid with
> complying with Idaho's Public Records Laws were GMA candidates.  If  
> nothing
> else, the actions of these two Council members make clear that GMA is
> heavily invested in continuing the good ol' boy network that  
> absolutely
> hasn't served our community well.
>
> Coupled with the changes in fees they also approved tonight to make  
> getting
> public records more expensive for us, it's clear this current council
> doesn't give a rip about transparency or accountability.  It's all  
> about the
> good ol' boy network being alive and well here to continue to allow  
> public
> business to be conducted out of public view, and they ought to be  
> ashamed.
>
> So, here's the real test of those who turned out for local Tea  
> Parties:  do
> you really care about the issues you protested?  If so, you have an
> obligation to protest this blatant waste of ***our*** scarce local  
> taxpayer
> funds.  If you can't make a difference locally -- in your home town  
> -- then
> your efforts at the bigger picture are meaningless.  So, let's just  
> see how
> genuine your concerns really are.  Pardon me if I don't hold my breath
> because looking at the GMA leadership, it doesn't take a genius to  
> see that
> those involved are totally hooked into old ideas of leadership that  
> have
> historically failed to serve our community well.
>
> And, to John Weber:  you're the one who clearly has no interest in
> generating goodwill when you are oh, so willing to waste the hard- 
> earned
> taxpayer dollars you take from us to advance your personal special
> interests.  You perceive that your buddies are "under attack" simply  
> because
> a member of the public understands Idaho Public Record Law.  How  
> about you
> taking the time to inform yourself -- there's really nothing  
> complicated
> about the issue -- before you go off half-cocked yet again?  Give us  
> all a
> breath of fresh by showing you have the *ability* to actually  
> understand the
> issues that come before you -- there are a great many of us who  
> continue to
> wait . . . and wait. . . and wait for that glimmer of actual  
> understanding
> rather than your knee-jerk responses to "defend" your personal  
> buddies at
> the expense of the clear spirit and intent of Idaho's Public Records  
> Laws.
>
> Basically, I'm of the opinion that if we-the-people don't *demand*
> transparency and accountability in our own community, it's foolhardy  
> to
> think we'll ever get it at the state or federal level.  And, sadly,  
> the
> actions of our Council tonight is a great example of that truism.
>
>
> Disgusted,
> Saundra Lund
> Moscow, ID
>
> The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people  
> to do
> nothing.
> ~ Edmund Burke
>
> ***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2009 through  
> life plus
> 70 years, Saundra Lund.  Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce  
> outside
> the Vision 2020 forum without the express written permission of the
> author.*****
>
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