What does a transparent government mean to you?

Submitted by Judy Meredith on Wed, 09/10/2008 - 2:15pm

Real Clout's first rule of lobbying is knowing that elected and appointed officials make different decisions when watched by the affected constituency.

 

The Herald reports that the Boston City Council is trying to figure out how to handle the presence of constituents hanging around at council meetings, or heaven forbid in the corridors as they discuss and vote on issue of the day.

An 80-page report the council takes up today recommends asking the Legislature for an exemption from the law that requires all cities and towns to conduct their business in public. An exemption would mean citizens have no legally guaranteed right to attend council meetings, or even receive meeting minutes.

“You may not have a right to speak, but you have a right to watch,” Pam Wilmot, executive director of government watchdog Common Cause, said about current protections under the law.

in

Comments

Public communications. Public information. Boston City Council.

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 12/06/2008 - 4:09pm.
A more in depth look on a regular basis is needed with respect to the problematical lack of access to public meetings and public records of the Boston City Council. Boston City Council Staff Director Ann Braga and the office of the Council President haven't been complying with Sunshine open public meetings principles and Freedom of Information FOI public records principles of open government. Minutes of public meetings of the Boston City Council are made into too brief an edited version to be understood by citizens interested in or concerned with proceedings and transactions at the public meetings. Boston City Clerk and Assistant City Clerk haven't responded substantively and are in denial to concerns about the Council Minutes. Among a hundred or so Boston City Council staff the budgeted Council City Stenographer from E. Fritch Stenographic Associates hasn't been making available the stenographic machine records of the public meetings and keep the stenographic machine records at home. More up to date professional scopist and stenographic software is needed http://www.scopists.com/Scopistry/ Boston City Council central staff and Councilors' staffs need better training and supervision on a continuing basis about Sunshine open public meetings principles and Freedom of Information FOI public records principles of open government. Boston City Council Staff Director emotionally extorts "cooperation" by threatening to take citizens off public mailing lists for public notices of the Council's public meetings and Committees' public meetings.

Mareen Feeney - Clarity on Transparency

Submitted by Judy Meredith on Thu, 09/11/2008 - 7:43am.
In today's Boston Herald the Boston City Council President Maureen Feeney does a pretty good job of putting the famous 80 page report in a little perspective. As some of our ONE Mass members who who also serve on public boards, already know it ain't easy being transparent. "All we're trying to do is find more clarity," said Council President Maureen Feeney. 'No one here wants to circumvent the process." And Maureen's got the hard earned trust of Bostonians and the political skills to manage a public (and transparent) process to balance the interests of citizens and elected or appointed policy makers. Full disclosure - I'm a long time supporter of Maureen Feeney.