COUNCILMAN BROWNLEE'S REMOVAL FROM MAPLE HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL, AND THE REMOVAL OF HIS CAMERA IS A BLOW TO GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY

I wish the last 7 minutes of the May 21st Maple Heights council meeting video tape didn't upset me, but it has.  Councilman Brownlee's removal from the council meeting should never have happened.  The removal of his camera by the law director should never (in my opinion) have occurred; and the lack of response (by other council members) to the councilman's removal, and the removal of the camera is disturbing.  

I think a lot of politicians/public officials/political appointees from city municipalities are not used to being challenged publicly.   They are not used to the type of government transparency that citizens are demanding and the courts have allowed.  And while these politicians, etc may not like it (and I understand why), it is necessary.  I direct you to the White House web page on transparency.  A message/memo from President Obama.

"Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies

SUBJECT:      Transparency and Open Government

My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government.  We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.

Government should be transparent.  Transparency promotes accountability and provides information for citizens about what their Government is doing.  Information maintained by the Federal Government is a national asset. My Administration will take appropriate action, consistent with law and policy, to disclose information rapidly in forms that the public can readily find and use. Executive departments and agencies should harness new technologies to put information about their operations and decisions online and readily available to the public. Executive departments and agencies should also solicit public feedback to identify information of greatest use to the public.

Government should be participatory. Public engagement enhances the Government's effectiveness and improves the quality of its decisions. Knowledge is widely dispersed in society, and public officials benefit from having access to that dispersed knowledge. Executive departments and agencies should offer Americans increased opportunities to participate in policymaking and to provide their Government with the benefits of their collective expertise and information. Executive departments and agencies should also solicit public input on how we can increase and improve opportunities for public participation in Government.

Government should be collaborative.  Collaboration actively engages Americans in the work of their Government. Executive departments and agencies should use innovative tools, methods, and systems to cooperateamong themselves, across all levels of Government, and with nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individuals in the private sector.  Executive departments and agencies should solicit public feedback to assess and improve their level of collaboration and to identify new opportunities for cooperation.

I direct the Chief Technology Officer, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Administrator of General Services, to coordinate the development by appropriate executive departments and agencies, within 120 days, of recommendations for an Open Government Directive, to be issued by the Director of OMB, that instructs executive departments and agencies to take specific actions implementing the principles set forth in this memorandum. The independent agencies should comply with the Open Government Directive.

This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by a party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
This memorandum shall be published in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA"

What President Obama is committed to, your mayor,  council representative, department head, law director, and other public employees must also be committed to.  

Vigorous debate, discussions, sharing of ideas, criticism, community engagement is desirable and necessary if you want a financially healthy, vibrant community.  

 

RELATED:

Promoting Transparent, Effective and Accountable Government

Open Government