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Mayor to SF: Government? You don't need to see that

By Benjamin Wachs in Government
Tuesday, May. 6 2008 @ 2:07PM

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By Benjamin Wachs

This just in: According to a communication provided to today's Board of Supervisors meeting, Mayor Gavin Newsom has vetoed the proposal to require all government meetings that can be recorded and broadcast to be recorded and broadcast.

The motion, proposed by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, would have opened up every government meeting in San Francisco to convenient public scrutiny - and only cost $70 thousand.

Spokespeople for Hizzoner have not yet returned calls for comment ... maybe they think the public doesn't need to hear that, either.

Is it just me, or could we probably find $70 thousand under the cushions of Gavin Newsom's couch? Maybe we should take up a collection. I'll pledge $100 for open government. Anybody else?

More on this as it develops.

5 comment(s) / Post a Comment
Kevin Woodruff says:

what a joke this idiot mayor is. he should start drinking again maybe is judgment would clear up...liberalism is a mental disorder

Posted On: Tuesday, May. 6 2008 @ 6:13PM
Corinne de Ciofalo-Guell says:

I believe we should see and read it for ourselves; not just be 'told' what they did in the meeting or 'told' what they want us to hear!
After 7+ years of censorship, we all are sick of it!
The Government has to stop it or there's going to be a revolution.
Can we over-ride his veto??

Posted On: Tuesday, May. 6 2008 @ 7:23PM
Joe Lynn says:

Commission oversight of city agencies depends on the commissioners becoming expert in the areas administered by their agencies. Too often that "expertise" comes from an incompetent staff. After all, staff will have the closest relationship to an uninformed Commissioner, and most Commissioners will not have the expertise to question an incompetent staff.

The only way to break that pernicious cycle is for knowledgeable members of the public to inform the Commissioners. Putting Commissioner meetings online allows those valued members of the public to listen to Commission business at their own convenience. And then comment. The comments the City would receive from interested citizens just might be the necessary spark to effectuate our Commission form of government.

Please contact Supervisor McGoldrick and ask for his support of this important good government measure.

Joe Lynn
Staff, Ethics Commission (1997-2003)
Ethics Commissioner (2003-2006)

Posted On: Tuesday, May. 6 2008 @ 11:04PM
Kimo Crossman says:

Mayor Gavin Newsom has Vetoed (linked below) Open Government legislation (introduced last November before any budget shortfall) claiming that a 76k salary in a $5,000,000,000+ budget in a year with a $350,000,000 shortfall was too much for Open Government that would allow citizens to listen online (possibly live) to digital recordings of meetings.

The legislation (linked below) would have required the digital recording (at least audio) of over 100 regular meetings (linked below) that occur in city hall for which some are tape recorded and many which are not recorded at all – generally affecting any meeting on the 4th floor. It was approved 7-4 by the Board of Supervisors and is set for an override vote Tuesday 5/13 – needing Supervisor Jack McGoldrick to change his vote to override. In the legislation, the digital recordings must be posted within 72 hours on the city website.

SFGTV (Jack Chin) and DTIS (Ron Vinson) and Media Services (Rohan Lane) on their on initiative have also included plans – not required in the legislation - to support live audio webcasting of the meetings as well. The level of webcasting of local government meeting is unprecedented Nationwide. The digital recording and webcasting is planned to occur in August 2008.

Contact Supervisor Jake McGoldrick and ask him to change his vote – he says he supports Sunshine but as Budget Chair is concerned about the budget shortfall.

City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, Ca 94102-4689
(415) 554-7410 - voice
(415) 554-7415 - fax
Jake.McGoldrick@sfgov.org

FILES

Legislation: (Word 97 Win)

http://tinyurl.com/5u7ary


Meetings to be Recorded: (Excel 97 Win)

http://tinyurl.com/6x355t

Veto Letter: (Word 97 Win)

http://tinyurl.com/5647bf


More Background:

The SF Examiner (conservative) has already run two or three stories and SF Bay Guardian (progressive) will have an editorial on 5/7 for this innovative legislation sponsored by Mirkarimi which received a 7-4 approval by the board and now must go back for an override in which Supervisor McGoldrick will need to change his vote from No to Yes. His concern was about the two 0.5 FTE’s around 76k total that was needed to enabled this service. Much of the cost for this, DTIS has found other ways to pay for - like the capital cost of the servers from a Cable Franchise fund.

File # 071596

Watch video of item #18 on 4/15 meeting here:

http://sanfrancisco.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=10

From 4/15/08

071596 [Audio or video recording of public meetings held in City Hall hearing rooms] Supervisors Mirkarimi, Ammiano, Daly Ordinance amending Section 67.14 of the Administrative Code to require that any public meeting held in a City Hall hearing room that is equipped with audio or video recording facilities be audio or video recorded and to further require that such audio or video recording be made available for review on the City's web site. Supervisor Elsbernd, seconded by Supervisor Alioto-Pier moved to refer File No. 071596 to committee.

The motion failed by the following vote:

Ayes: Alioto-Pier, Chu, Dufty, Elsbernd, McGoldrick
Noes: Ammiano, Daly, Maxwell, Mirkarimi, Peskin, Sandoval

PASSED ON FIRST READING by the following vote: Ayes: 6 - Ammiano, Daly, Dufty, Mirkarimi, Peskin, Sandoval
Noes: 5 - Alioto-Pier, Chu, Elsbernd, Maxwell, McGoldrick

From 4/22/08

http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_page.asp?id=79590

071596 [Audio or video recording of public meetings held in City Hall hearing rooms] Supervisors Mirkarimi, Ammiano, Daly Ordinance amending Section 67.14 of the Administrative Code to require that any public meeting held in a City Hall hearing room that is equipped with audio or video recording facilities be audio or video recorded and to further require that such audio or video recording be made available for review on the City's web site. FINALLY PASSED by the following vote: Ayes: 7 - Ammiano, Daly, Dufty, Maxwell, Mirkarimi, Peskin, Sandoval
Noes: 3 - Alioto-Pier, Chu, Elsbernd
Excused: 1 – McGoldrick

Posted On: Wednesday, May. 7 2008 @ 12:11AM
Charley Marsteller says:

I would echo former Ethics Commissioner Joe Lynn's comment regarding how incompetent staff too often have the ear of their Commissioners. Simply put, the situation can be far worse than 'incompetency.' There are staff agendas (ie.keep control, keep the lid on it) or outside pressures on staffs (by the agendas of others such as our Elected Officials or longtime Deputy City Attorneys). Also it is not unknown to have lobbyists or influence brokers (even good government activists) who have an unseen hand. So, our government can only serve the wider public interest by transparency provided by our Sunshine Laws, SFGTV Cable Television, a robust press and....the engagement of the public in our public affairs. Charles Marsteller

Posted On: Thursday, May. 8 2008 @ 9:53AM


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