October 29, 2007
Equal Opportunity Bribery
The election is not yet completed and already politicians are trying to change and ethics standards and to weaken the open meeting and open records laws. Examples are the Shelby County Commission and the state legislature. Congratulations should be given to the Commercial Appeal for calling to our attention the actions of State Representative Ulysses Jones (Memphis) who wants to change the open meeting law to allow the secret meetings of less than a quorum. This would allow special deals to be worked out in secret (e.g. you vote for my bill and I will vote for your bill regardless of the merits). Also the CA pointed out the recent changes in the already worthless County ethics standard sponsored by Democratic Commissioner Sidney Chism and passed by the County Commission. This will allow things like free football and basketball tickets as long as they all get free tickets (equal opportunity bribery).
I like full and open discussions at public meeting with all the records posted on the website of the City or the County. But if the politicians want to propose something in advance of the meeting, I would suggest that they put the proposal in writing by email and send it to all of the other members of their political body with a copy to the news media plus a copy on the official website of the City or the County. Then the recipients of the email could respond with the same open record requirements. However, one on one meeting and telephone conversations about such deals are illegal and should remain so.
I would remind the readers of the natural tendency of politicians to restrict the public from their decision making and their freedom to wheel and deal without oversight. Please do not forget the change in state law in the 1990s which stated the following concerning the County Charter provisions allowing citizen petitions such as the one for term limits for the county.
Editor's note: The Charter, § 5.05C., which states "at least 15 percent of the persons who voted in the last gubernatorial election" is superseded by the state law, T.C.A. § 2-5-151(d) which states "at least fifteen percent (15%) of those registered to vote in the ...county."
In other words, the politicians did not like the fact that it took two few signatures (too few in their opinion) to get the term limit item on the ballot. Therefore they raised the bar to make it more difficult for the voters to mess in their business. All they want is for the taxpayers to pay their taxes and shut up.
Equal Opportunity Bribery
The election is not yet completed and already politicians are trying to change and ethics standards and to weaken the open meeting and open records laws. Examples are the Shelby County Commission and the state legislature. Congratulations should be given to the Commercial Appeal for calling to our attention the actions of State Representative Ulysses Jones (Memphis) who wants to change the open meeting law to allow the secret meetings of less than a quorum. This would allow special deals to be worked out in secret (e.g. you vote for my bill and I will vote for your bill regardless of the merits). Also the CA pointed out the recent changes in the already worthless County ethics standard sponsored by Democratic Commissioner Sidney Chism and passed by the County Commission. This will allow things like free football and basketball tickets as long as they all get free tickets (equal opportunity bribery).
I like full and open discussions at public meeting with all the records posted on the website of the City or the County. But if the politicians want to propose something in advance of the meeting, I would suggest that they put the proposal in writing by email and send it to all of the other members of their political body with a copy to the news media plus a copy on the official website of the City or the County. Then the recipients of the email could respond with the same open record requirements. However, one on one meeting and telephone conversations about such deals are illegal and should remain so.
I would remind the readers of the natural tendency of politicians to restrict the public from their decision making and their freedom to wheel and deal without oversight. Please do not forget the change in state law in the 1990s which stated the following concerning the County Charter provisions allowing citizen petitions such as the one for term limits for the county.
Editor's note: The Charter, § 5.05C., which states "at least 15 percent of the persons who voted in the last gubernatorial election" is superseded by the state law, T.C.A. § 2-5-151(d) which states "at least fifteen percent (15%) of those registered to vote in the ...county."
In other words, the politicians did not like the fact that it took two few signatures (too few in their opinion) to get the term limit item on the ballot. Therefore they raised the bar to make it more difficult for the voters to mess in their business. All they want is for the taxpayers to pay their taxes and shut up.
posted by watchdog at
8:25 PM
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