[net-gold] My My First Maine Legislative Subcommittee Meeting of the Maine Right to Know Advisory Committee
- From: "David P. Dillard" <jwne@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Other Net-Gold Lists -- Educator Gold <Educator-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Educator Gold <Educator-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, NetGold <netgold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Gold <net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, K-12ADMINLIFE <K12ADMIN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, K12AdminLIFE <K12AdminLIFE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, NetGold <netgold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Platinum <net-platinum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Gold <NetGold_general@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Temple Gold Discussion Group <TEMPLE-GOLD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Temple University Net-Gold Archive <net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Health Lists -- Health Diet Fitness Recreation Sports Tourism <healthrecsport@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Health Diet Fitness Recreation Sports <healthrecsport@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, HEALTH-RECREATION-SPORTS-TOURISM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2011 18:31:42 -0400 (EDT)
.
Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2011 12:36:11 -0400
From: Dwight Hines <dwight.hines@xxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: Net-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: Net-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Net-Gold] My My First Maine Legislative Subcommittee Meeting of the
Maine Right to Know Advisory Committee
My First Maine Legislative Subcommittee Meeting of the Maine Right to Know
Advisory Committee
August 4, 2011
Dwight Hines
I attended my first Right to Know Advisory Committee, Legislative
Subcommittee this afternoon in Augusta and it was disappointing for several
reasons. Judy Meyer, Chair of the subcommittee, misunderstood my objection
to the representative of the Maine Municipal Association being on the
committee and any of its subcommittees as an objection to the individual
representative, Mr. Flewelling. I?ve written to correct that mistake so she
knows that any representative of Maine Municipal Association is unacceptable
due to conflicts of interests and blatant biases against individuals who
make public records requests. I also told Mr. Flewelling immediately after
the meeting that my objections were not personal and he said he knew they
were not personal.
My second disappointment was when I called the Reporters? Committee for a
Free Press to see what was necessary to obtain an injunction against the
participation of MMA in the committee and subcommittee meetings and was told
that they focus on just getting meetings open. I was confused because I
thought they did file cases where there were obvious, well-documented
conflicts of interests and biases when an organization was required to
provide objective advice and guidance on legislative issues. I hope I
misunderstood because RCFP writes great amici briefs and they would carry
the day in any court.
My third disappointment was when the Special Assistant Attorney General for
Criminal Justice presented an amended criminal justice records bill to the
subcommittee and, given that I did not have a copy of the bill, only the old
bill, it appeared from just listening that much of the new and improved bill
would be unconstitutional, unnecessary, and lacking in common sense.
Obviously, I need to get a true copy of the bill.
My fourth disappointment was on the discussion of the amended Maine open
records, or freedom to access act. I was appalled to hear the MMA
representative and the representative talk about how much harm and damage
would be caused by requiring the small towns in Maine to respond quickly to
public records requests. They had me crying. Crying not for the small
disorganized computer illiterate small towns but for the small and medium
businesses in those same towns who are required to keep records, detailed
records. Those small businesses know that they need the records not just
for the government, but so they can manage and market and plan now and in
the future. So, it appears that Maine will continue to have one set of
record requirements for those in the competitive market place and another,
lower set of record requirements for the local governments who have no
competition.
Having a lower set of standards for local governments that are small and
only meet once a week misses the points for having open government. Small
towns are where most abusive government practices occur ? no worry about
competition, no competitive bidding, little or no enforcement of accuracy in
records, and plain general waste. Given that all Maine high school
students have a computer given to them by the State of Maine for 5 years,
starting in the 8th grade, and given that even the small towns have or are
near high schools, wouldn?t it make sense to challenge the students to set
up the town records and documents on a webpage for anyone to view or
download at their leisure? Office hours would not be an issue. If you
wanted to start a business, which town would you want it to be: the one that
knows what records they have and where they are and shows them without
needing a request? Or one where the town is just too busy and too small to
deal with something as unimportant as a public records request?
There is little doubt now that Governor Paul LePage?s changes in Maine laws
to make Maine more competitive and more attractive to businesses will be
partially, if not completely gutted by those who feel small Maine towns, and
their high school students, don?t have the abilities to provide good open
government.
Before going to my last disappointment, let me honor Mr. Chris Cinquemani of
the Maine Heritage Policy Center for his excellent work and excellent
presentation and excellent responses to questions by members of the
subcommittee. Kudos, to both Chris and MHPC.
My fifth disappointment is that the Specialist Assistant Attorney General
did not mention, not a word, about how the new criminal justice criminal
history record bill would improve on the present laws and police practices
and prosecutors? practices in failing in protecting women from abuse. It
is a scandal that the InterAmerican Commission for Human Rights recently
criticized the United States for the widespread practices of ignoring the
enforcement of protective orders against the abusers. (REPORT No. 80/11,
CASE 12.626, MERITS, JESSICA LENAHAN (GONZALES) ET AL., UNITED STATES (*),
July 21, 2011). Europe is also ahead of US in these fundamental justices
(Human Rights Watch & Council of Europe?s ?Domestic Violence Convention?,<
http://www.hrw.org/node/101413?tr=y&auid=9419179>.
A half disappointment, maybe a third of a disappointment was that Governor
LePage is concerned about how much time his staff is spending gathering up
bills, food bills, to show public record requesters how much he is costing
the taxpayers while living in the Governor?s mansion. Reminds me of the
time when we did a research project with the University of Maine in the
local state hospital where we weighed and measured every single thing for
each autistic patient on a locked ward to see if the food intake (broken
down into constituent amino acids, protein, fats, etc.,) predicted
behaviors. Well, food intake wasn?t a predictor for autistic patients but
it might be for Governors. So, Governor, while you?re walking over to the
nearest high school from the Governor?s mansion, be aware that someone might
be counting your steps and measuring your speed. You don?t have to tell the
monitors that you are going to the high school to issue a Governor?s
Challenge to the students: Design and build and inexpensive sensor that
will automatically record my food purchases (grocery store cash registers
are all digital) onto a flash drive that a member of my staff can hand to
anyone making a food based public records request. In the alternative, have
the grocery store tell you how they can do it for the Governor, and any one
else who wants that level of information, for 25 cents a visit. The key
points here are that inability to respond quickly to public records requests
is not best solved by either or legislation, that the ability to create and
respond quickly to public records requests are solvable by Maine high school
students, who need to know what they are learning has real now applied value
to the Governor and every one else.
Finally, listening and watching the subcommittee members today led me to
believe that these folks are isolated from the harsh economic realities that
most Mainers must face daily. It?s an unhealthy isolation because it is
likely that the subcommittee members have never had to meet a payroll or
function alone in a harsh competitive market place. The people of Maine
deserve representation from across the income and occupation spectra.
Stay tuned for the end of the month meeting of the full Right to Know
Advisory Committee.
If you know of any women who think domestic violence laws need improving,
invite them.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
Net-Gold-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Net-Gold-fullfeatured@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Net-Gold-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Other related posts:
- » [net-gold] My My First Maine Legislative Subcommittee Meeting of the Maine Right to Know Advisory Committee - David P. Dillard
