An alert OpenCdA reader pointed us to this story in the Bitterroot Star newspaper.
It’s a story you’re not likely to see in Idaho and will never see in Coeur d’Alene: The Mayor of Stevensville, Montana, demanded that three airport board members resign because … they violated the state’s Open Meeting Law. Apparently in Montana, or at least in Stevensville, ignorance of the state’s open meeting law is no defense for public officials to hide behind.
Imagine that! A mayor that follows the law. Shocking!
Three Cheers for the Bitterroot Star for the extensive coverage of this violation of Montana’s Open Meeting Law. I’ve always felt that it is the duty of media to be the gatekeepers of the public’s right to know.
Comment by Gary Ingram — January 21, 2012 @ 10:45 am
Gary,
The Coeur d’Alene Press and The Spokesman-Review are the gatekeepers of the public’s right to know. And when there is any information the City of Coeur d’Alene doesn’t want the public to know, the gatekeepers make sure the gate is closed.
Comment by Bill — January 21, 2012 @ 12:01 pm
Is that Burt Lancaster in the photo for this post? If so can anyone name the movie?
Comment by Eric — January 21, 2012 @ 9:04 pm
I’m guessing Elmer Gantry. Mayor Bloem treats laws as if they were silly putty. They’re whatever she wants them to be, as she needs them to be. The real culprits are the state enforcement officers who conveniently look the other way.
Comment by Wallypog — January 22, 2012 @ 6:01 am
Eric,
I don’t know, but it looks like Burt Lancaster, maybe in a scene from “Sorry, Wrong Number?”
Comment by Bill — January 22, 2012 @ 6:29 am
Looks like Kramer from Seinfield.
Gatekeepers of the public’s right to know? Puzzling. Why should there be a gate on the public’s knowledge, let alone a gatekeeper? Usually both local gatekeepers don’t give the public the information it needs to know so that they can make up their own minds. On the rare occasion that they can’t avoid news, they present a story in a manner in which the FACTS are ignored and their respective agendas furthered. The only way that the public gets FACTS is through blogs such as this one. The S-R’s blog trash is classic yellow journalism. Thank you Opencda.
Comment by Joe Six-Pack — January 22, 2012 @ 9:41 am
The deterioration in journalistic accuracy in favor of the new model “Report now – We can always correct it later” is one reason the public is not as readily accepting the news as fact. This article from today’s Washington Post online supports that. Look at how the inaccurate story originated by a campus student-run website was picked up and amplified by supposedly professional news organizations such as Poynter and CNN.
Joe Six-Pack’s comments about the local news/views/skewspapers reporting according to their respective agendas is right on the money.
Comment by Bill — January 22, 2012 @ 11:36 am
My reference to the media being the gatekeepers on open government means they have the duty, yes the duty, to be the link between government activity and the public. Is that so hard to understand? Sorry if I didn’t state that better. I really thought it was a given. Free Press and so on. Need I explain more?
Comment by Gary Ingram — January 22, 2012 @ 10:47 pm