TheAustinBulldog.org is the gift that keeps on giving. Read Ken Martin’s piece today on how the City Council is using our tax dollars to defend themselves against their possible violations of the Texas Open Meeting Act.
Ya gotta ask yourself why they don’t just make amends by truly opening up City Hall instead?
Read ChangeAustin.org’s statement on this issue below.
Ordinary Austinites must use this opportunity to push for the reforms we’ve been fighting for — open government, fair representation and fiscal reform.
DON’T FORGET! Our next meeting (with Bill Aleshire as our guest speaker) is a week from this Thursday — February 17 — be there at 6:30 pm! (need a ride? reply to this message)
Austin Energy Building (across from Palmer Auditorium)
721 Barton Springs Road, Assembly Room 130
ChangeAustin.org on Possible Violations of
Texas Open Meetings Act by the Austin City Council
The Travis County Attorney’s office is reviewing the possibility that our entire city council has been violating the Texas Open Meetings Act in the most serious way.
Texas law gives all citizens the right to watch their governing bodies deliberate; it is one of the most fundamental pillars of our democracy. But our city council has operated an institutionalized template of private, regular and deliberative meetings between fellow council members designed, according to Mayor Pro Tem Martinez, to “try to achieve that level of understanding so that on Thursday we can minimize the line of questioning, and the debate, and move forward through the agenda” according to TheAustinBulldog.org interview.
Martinez further reveals the charade, “I can’t say for sure, but I do not think I’ve ever switched a vote unbeknownst to my colleagues.”
Council’s votes on Thursday are planned and known in advance – a nice, orchestrated play that mocks the entire concept of public participation. A system designed to minimize on-the-record public discourse between members. No embarrassing explanations required. Great for reelection campaigns and private interests, but illegal for exactly that reason.
Maybe that is why Austin citizens have felt left out for years while developers and big money interests mysteriously win every fight prior to Thursday.
Shortly after Austin Chronicle pundit Michael King declared that there is nothing to see here, the Mayor cancelled the private meetings and announced that they will start deliberating in public work sessions like other Texas cities.
Journalists have a special obligation to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in the open and that government records are open to inspection. The Chronicle should assign one to this story.