How did I become the news story?
All I did was formally exercise rights clearly spelled out in the Constitution’s 1st amendment. The “freedom of speech” and “petition Government for a redress of grievances” components by asking how tax money being used?
The real story is the public officials and how they skirted numerous laws written in the spirit of our nation’s prime document. Wonder why only one Supervisor knows the name of the company? If two were discussing the name of the Fortune 100 Company, it would be subject to the open meeting laws. Why Mr. Flory says all discussions were verbal and no notes were taken? Because those notes would be subject to the Freedom of Information laws. It’s one thing for a private company to take these actions, but those individual are charged with public trust. The open records law is what brought the current secret settlement scandal playing out right now in the State of Iowa’s government to light.
I could care less what the name of company is this point. Its apparent great lengths have been taken to prevent anyone from knowing. When the political class takes an oath of office, it swears to up hold the Constitution, written by James Madison, our fourth president, He was responsible for the introduction of the Bill of Rights, the constitutional document that protects individual freedom in US law. In order to honor this man, Freedom of Information day is celebrated on his birthday, March 16th. That’s right, just a few days ago.
So when all you dignitaries gather together for the ground breaking photo op, covered by a manipulable press, could you please not toss the dirt in your shovel on the Constitution? Some of us still respect it and would like you to do the same.
The words of two other Presidents come to mind today. Ronald Reagan’s “trust but verify” and Harry Truman’s “When even one American – who has done nothing wrong – is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth – then all Americans are in peril”.
JB Johnson
7 thoughts on “Opinion: Man wonders how he became story instead of secret company”
I wonder how Urdahls and the Scott Florys sleep at night? I think they believe what they are doing is in the “public good”, but it clearly isn’t. No matter how many jobs you think you are going to bring to the area, secrecy is not the way to do it. You folks should have better ethics. This is shameful.
JB’s right here, dead right. These are public officials. They are elected or hired to perform public duties. Disclosure is required as a result of performing said public duties. This is not a back room deal, and it needs to quit looking like one.
The longer this goes on the less it passes the smell test.
Try to sit in and listen to the back and forth between the public unions with the state, city or county during their so called “collective bargaining” process. You won’t be allowed to because the unions won’t allow it. Now, shouldn’t you have the same freedom of information privileges in that situation? After all, the public servants wages are taxpayer dollars too.
@Buzz-Good comments. As a person who has sat in on several contract bargaining sessions I could tell you some real horror story’s about the things unions will try to get their demand. With them it is demands, not bargaining.
@ LVS…I know what you mean as I’ve sat in on several “negotiations” myself. It didn’t take long to figure out that most of the time the only thing the union was interested in and wanted was more, more and more for themselves. They could care less what the taxpayer got in return as long as the union benefited. My point in the 1st post was to show that those meetings were closed to the public too. So, as much as people are crying foul on the CL deal, it happens else where as well.
@Buzz-exactly. It used to be that if the UAW was in a plant the life expectancy was about 8 years and they would bleed it to the point they would go under. And those company’s base their wages on sales increases. With a public union they just demand more and more and then come back on the tax payers. They don’t care as long as they get their. The time is coming when Iowa will not be able to afford this just like Wisconsin and Michigan. The well is almost dry Underfunded pension will kill…
Good read. How right you are.
What is really scary is the “people”, “voters” “campaign contributors” aLL sit idly on the sidelines and allow and want our “freedoms” destroyed.
There is no level of trust that is recognizable in our elected officials.