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What’s the difference between the mayors and city councils in Olympia, WA, and Coeur d’Alene, ID? Olympia’s officials use high-tech communications to facilitate their violations of the state’s public meeting laws. Coeur d’Alene’s officials still use the telephone. How low-tech! Aside from that, their disdain for citizen participation is remarkably similar. |
January 7, 2009
High-Tech Deception
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Ah, the classic Dixie Reid comment, “We don’t vote over the phone, but…”
http://opencda.com/?p=590
Comment by Dan — January 7, 2009 @ 2:14 pm
Bill, I love the last paragraph of the editorial, where it says:
“Busybodies and meddlers everywhere must be alert to official abuses of information technology. Unfortunately, the very technology that often helps citizens monitor the inner doings of government can also be used to shut the public out.”
Now busybodies and meddlers are good!
Comment by mary — January 7, 2009 @ 2:53 pm
It does little or no good for honest citizens to be alert to official abuses of open meeting laws when our county prosecutor never met an official complaint he wouldn’t decline and when legislators won’t amend the state open meeting law to require a timely review of all county prosecutor declinations by the Attorney General’s office.
Comment by Bill — January 7, 2009 @ 3:35 pm
At least part of that equation will change with the swearing in of a new county prosecutor later this month. Let’s hope it will have an impact.
Comment by mary — January 7, 2009 @ 5:08 pm
we shall see. the mchugh family has long roots in local government. i hear good things but we shall see. i was very pleasantly surprised by hazel, i hope this one is the same.
Comment by TheWiz — January 7, 2009 @ 5:34 pm
BUSYBODIES AND MEDDLERS UNITE!
Comment by Gary Ingram — January 7, 2009 @ 5:58 pm
Mary,
Only time will tell.
Wiz,
This is not the same Kootenai County of 10 or 20 or 50 years ago. The expectations for the criminal justice systems are now the same here as they are in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. On the other hand, there are political and economic forces in this county (and state) that do not want effective administration of criminal justice. I’m hoping that McHugh will have both the skill and the political will to help elevate Kootenai County’s criminal justice system into the late 20th century.
Gary,
It’s always reassuring when dishonest public officials and their toadies use derisive terms to try and pigeonhole the honest and attentive citizens. I would be worried if any of our council members spoke highly of us.
Comment by Bill — January 7, 2009 @ 7:14 pm
The use of electronic communication during a meeting is already against the law. 67-2341(2) defines deliberation to include the receipt or exchange of information. The Attorney General may add to this a specific reference to electronic communication, but as I state here it is already covered in the Open Meeting Law with existing language.
Comment by Gary Ingram — January 7, 2009 @ 8:59 pm
Gary, thanks for authoring the Open Meeting Law for Idaho when you were in the State House years ago. You have made a big difference in our state! Now if we could get the legislature to update it, get our local officials to study it and our prosecuting attorney to enforce it, the citizens would have a chance at a transparent, responsive government.
Comment by mary — January 8, 2009 @ 6:34 pm