Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Changing Laredo's image: Suggestion no. 2 - Clean up our Government !!

At this time we'll happily go into executive bull session
Can you imagine ( I know it's hard) if the Webb county commissioner's court, the Laredo city council, the LCC trustees, and both UISD and LISD school boards did away with their Executive Sessions!  I, for one, would love for our city to be known for such unprecedented TRANSPARENCY. I mean the real kind, not the kind that we hear about in front of the cameras.

The idea that the people who pay for and support all these governmental agencies could actually see for themselves, every step of what they do with our money - is a fundamental one. How did it get to be absurd to even ask if we can participate in our own government? We have to ask? Where else do you go and spend you money without being able to hear or otherwise know what is going on with your purchase?  Does the HEB checkout lady tell you to go wait in your car while she rings up the bill?  Are the department stores' prices kept top secret? Are you kept in the dark about your very own money and what is being done with it?

I don't blame you if you can't even imagine it but if you can, you should. To see our fellow citizens stand up, one after another, in meeting after meeting and let our public servants know directly : We do not appreciate, nor do we want you to go into executive session.  If the state says you "may" go into executive session, it is simply an option; an option that we do not want you to take.

Let's clean up our government Before they spend those million dollars during another executive session. Please, call, write, text, attend, blog, picket, editorialize (just not all at one please)!
Thanks for reading.

3 comments:

  1. Yes - I am all for a cleaner government! Except, I think they have to have executive sessions when they are discussing personnel issues or the type of delicate topics that are legally protected. It protects the privacy of the one they are talking about cuz regular schmoes have rights, too.

    You know what I can't stand - the dinner break they take at council and you are left sitting there twiddling your thumbs until they finish. I know you can leave & come back but... you don't want to miss a riveting minute by coming back late :P.

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  2. Great topic. QF is also correct, at UISD thed board Is fed at board And committee meetings. Let's be honest - exec sessions should be public. Most of what is discussed has already been fixed in advance

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  3. I knew there were exceptions but I wasn't so sure on what. I'm sure if they did it when it was Absolutely necessary, executive sessions would be a lot less frequent.

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