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
