Open Government
Now there's a concept — local governments having to record their “secret” and “executive” sessions. This was on the front page of yesterday’s PDN but it’s not available in the online version.
House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler (D-Hoquiam) and House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt, (R-Chehalis) are both in favor of House Bill 3292. This would require all government agencies in Washington State to record their executive sessions. These recordings would be available for a judge to listen to later on in case there are any disputes or allegations.
The bill is opposed by the Association of Washington Cities and by the Washington State Association of Counties. Guess what our local government agencies (without mentioning any names) think of this bill.
House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler (D-Hoquiam) and House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt, (R-Chehalis) are both in favor of House Bill 3292. This would require all government agencies in Washington State to record their executive sessions. These recordings would be available for a judge to listen to later on in case there are any disputes or allegations.
The bill is opposed by the Association of Washington Cities and by the Washington State Association of Counties. Guess what our local government agencies (without mentioning any names) think of this bill.
Labels: Association of Washington Cities, executive session, House Bill 3292, Lynn Kessler, open government, Richard DeBolt, Washington State Association of Counties
posted by Tom Harper at 12:39 AM
7 Comments:
How about "Open Commenting"?
I'm personally rather tired of the majority of anonymous comments to this blog (which is really nothing more than rehashing the PDN's web and print news) which are nothing less than mean spirited innuendo, speculation and character assassination.
Edna Peterson, Bob Stokes, Country Aire, the city council and a few other businesses and personalities have been horribly raked over the coals by a gleeful mob of Anonymous posters hiding behind that impenetrable wall of anonymity. Would any of you really have the guts to say these things if your names or businesses were attached to these statements?
I suspect not.
First, it's easier to hit the annon selection on blogger, than to sign in. (Which is always the case, it's the easiest option). But, in this case, there is an added bonus. In this town, you can't be too open about who you are when you speak your mind, OR you get people who are going to find ways to hurt you. It's a godsend for the huddled masses afraid to speak, who have a voice in this forum, much less heard in city government, or the ruling class which appears to be a bunch of small minded city department heads.
(Guess you've never felt the wrath of Cutler?)
Like it or not...this is a very mean small town for speaking up and being heard.
Edna deserves the raking, as she was the one who spearheaded the efforts to get the Farmer's Market out of downtown. She can be a difficult lady to deal with.
Bob Stokes art is all over the place. It's like having an art gallery with ONE artist. And, a lot of the sculpture's bases are downright dangerous to little kids (I've seen some nasty bumps and bruises) because the bases are not conforming to standards that other cities have adopted. I don't mind his stuff, I do mind the "oh we're so great" and the awkward, screwball thinking that one man's art will make PA a destination. It won't. (Unless he's Picasso.)
Country Aire, as one a few posters pointed out, is a store that was very trendy in the 70's, but is a bit faded and stereotypical of "hippie". If the owners don't know that...then fine, but it's only an observation. I didn't see any bashing.
As for our city manager and head of public works...well, they're public figures. It is hard to deal with a hard headed ex-navy guy who really doesn't seem to enjoy people, and is rude and insulting as part of his personality. He has quite the reputation.
I don't see that anything posted has been out of the ordinary. You may not agree, or you feel threatened yourself, but either way, this is a wonderful forum, and I get great joy reading it every week.
And, it's true, no one really listens. I've seen the city council (past, not current) actually show down and tell speakers to "shut up". We all KNOW that decisions are made without the community input considered (fluoridated water, the Gateway Center, moving the Farmers Market, doing three major projects at once, moving the festivals to the pier, closing a street downtown for some Doctors Offices...shall I go on?).
I certainly hope more sunshine laws are enacted in this state (I support the efforts to at least RECORD closed meetings).
I love this blog. Good work, Tom!
if the town would quit making such half-hearted, half a&&ed decisions about the town. Let's all look at Ashland, Oregon for a town that did it right. They took the plunge and built this beautiful theater, and do Shakespeare plays. The (once dumpy) town is thriving and is now a tourist destination.
If Port Angeles really wanted to be an art town they'd take that eyesore of a monstrosity (What's it called..the Lincoln School?) and make it a center for Art in Washington. They'd build a massive world class art museum. They'd do something with our new-found town archaeologist and do something with him of note.
What do we want to be known for? We just can't keep doing it halfway, or half hearted. I'm sorry but putting up a ceiling at the airport (instead of the cute hangar with model planes) was a step right into 1965, and not in a good way. The Red Lion is a motel, not a hotel. The Vern Burton Community Center isn't a convention center (no matter how much the city tries to argue otherwise).
What I see, when I look around, is a town that doesn't know what it wants to be. We need to quit putting lipstick on the pig and figure how to sell the pork.
"The Big Anonymous": Thanks for stopping by; hope you'll be back. I try to post about subjects that are topical to Port Angeles and this general area, and the PDN seems to be the main source of these topics.
Also, "off topic" comments are welcome, so that people can talk about whatever local issues they're interested in. That's why I have that notation at the top of the screen.
Yes, some of the comments are negative and meanspirited, but there's a lot of festering resentment around here. I don't know if you've ever written a letter to the PDN, but it just about takes an act of Congress to get them to publish it. If you're lucky you'll only spend a week going back and forth over the phone with their "commentary editor" and then they'll deign to print it. Or you might spend 2 weeks going back and forth over the phone and they still won't print the letter.
This blog (whatever tiny number of people it reaches) at least enables people to vent.
And the second commenter is right: There's a reason that a lot of people post anonymously. There seems to be a self-contained secretive good old boy network that runs Port Angeles. I doubt if anyone would be retaliated against by the Powers That Be, but you can't be too careful. Or like the saying goes, "just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't following you."
They, in fact, are following me around, or at least trying to. I was eating downtown recently and I accidently bit down on a crunchy thing in my food that I am sure was a micro RFID chip that they were getting in me to read my thoughts. When I left the resturant, a white unmarked van with dark windows and with several antennas on top followed me around a while. Thank goodness for a company making tin foil undergarments because now I can at least move around without them knowing....
...gotta go, they are watching outside my window.
Aren't there any SUNSHINE laws in this state!
No executive sessions should be closed. Yes they should be recorded. It's about time Washington State steps into the 20th century (it can try to get into the 21st century later!)
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