I’m always a little concerned when a politician says it’s just too darn much trouble to play fair with voters and taxpayers.
New York State Governor David Paterson doesn’t want the public to have prior access to documents discussed in open public meetings. He just vetoed a bill sponsored by state Senator John A. DeFrancisco that would have required this common-sense level of transparency.
The governor says requiring agencies to make such documents available in a timely way would “impose a serious burden on agency staff.” It could, he explains, “seriously disrupt the work of boards and commissions” in the days before a scheduled meeting.
Oh, I’m sure effort would be involved. There’s always effort when you have to do things. But these would be documents to be discussed in open public meetings. The officials attending the meetings obviously have access to the documents they’re discussing. Why shouldn’t others troubling to participate also see them? How much time does it take to scan or make an extra photocopy?
Senator DeFrancisco points out that, too often, an open meeting will be held about a document to which the public has had little or no access before the meeting. This obviously makes it harder for the public “to ask informed questions and to fully understand the document being discussed.”
But I’m sure Governor Paterson is smart enough to understand this simple fact. Maybe he understands it all too well.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
7 replies on “Too Darn Much Trouble?”
Have these people never heard of the “Internet”? Publication of documents is instant and free, and access is worldwide, instant, and free.
for some reason I am thinking of the nazis… its not that they are just not being considerate, and not making extra papers.
they are refusing to allow the people to have access to the information discussed in the meeting.
[…] friend Paul Jacob has a disheartening commentary out today about NY Governor Paterson’s veto of an important piece of transparency […]
Notice of a proposed eminent domain taking in New York State has to be published. But it doesn’t have to be published in any newspaper near the target owner.
So, notice of an action in New York City could appear in a Buffalo newspaper or in some section of the paper not known for legal notices. (The notice for the New York Times taking for their new headquarters building appeared in the Sports section.)
You have something like 90 days to protest, but if you don’t subscribe to the Buffalo paper (and every other paper in the state), you would never know and will lose your property by default.
A few years ago, legislation was introduced to require that the property owner be notified by letter. Sounds reasonable.
Then Governor Pataki vetoed the legislation. He said it would cost too much money.
Among others, this raised the question: Just how many pieces of property are they planning to take to make an envelope, a form letter, a little cutting and pasting and a first class stamp for each “too expensive?”
Maybe this moron has forgotten that the government is the servant of the people, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!
It it time to get rid of these ego manics, put them in jail!
AMERICA was not established to bow down to RULERS, it was founded to give us ALL Freedom!
Arrogance; which is endemic of most blacks who gain power. A simple and unabashed supremacist attitude. Go into any government agency an deal with the black employee.
Keep voting for leftist blacks and this is what you will get.
Now; to all the black folk and guilty white appologists, please call me a racist so other Latinos with Native American blood like me can see it. After all, that is the tactic right? It will come back to haunt blacks and their dismal future on this continent; OUR continent.
Narry a day goes by that my view of goverments as gangster organizations operating in the light of day is not re-inforced.