October 11, 2005
"Fight for Public Access"
Both the Times and P-I have editorials Tuesday (here and here) supporting Attorney General Rob McKenna and his efforts to strengthen the Public Disclsosure Act.
Tonight McKenna is holding the final public forum in his tour of the state soliciting citizen input for enhancements to the Public Disclosure Act. His office invited a handful of speakers from various perspectives to address the audience on their experiences with public records laws. I was honored to be invited to say a few words about my experiences obtaining records from King County Elections.
The forum is this evening, Tuesday October 11th from 7:00 - 8:30 at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, Room 4C-2.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at October 11, 2005
01:09 AM | Email This
1. Can't go (kids), but very interested. As we have seen this past year just in elections, this is so very important to checks and balances and keeping government accountable. How can we find out just what McKenna is proposing? Will he present it to the legislature, or to voters? How can citizens support their support or disagreement?
Thanks for the info, will watch for more on this subject!
2. Even the P-I finally conceded that there were more votes than voters, in an obscure article hidden away in today's paper. But in their unctuous editorial on McKenna's public access drive, did they include the County's long delay in coughing up ballot records as an important example of grasping bureaucratic arrogance? Well, no, their candidate won already, so neener neener.
3. Notice that the MSM examples cited do not include any mention of investigative reporting? They use examples of private citizens being denied access in high profile cases, but no instances where the press has used access to investigate an issue (for the common good of the community) nor the press being denied access.
Maybe press aren't denied access as long as they don't request politically controversial info. For example...they apparently haven't been waiting months for access to 2004 election info, asked for access to previous ethics committee rulings regarding Mayor Nichols, tough questions regarding light rail costs, ridership and effectiveness, etc. In fact, the only issues they seem to investigate beyond a warm, fuzzy interview are consumer products. The recent primary for example was almost exclusively covered as improved and wonderful, problems were glossed over and marginalized. But did MSM check even one fact, request to view even a single poll book, or look at one bundle of mail ballots?
What an easy job...call your party political leader, get talking points for the day, and write your story. My 8th grader could do this, no thinking required! Then they scratch their heads and wonder why readership is down again.
4. My cell phone rang yesterday morning and it was a friend calling to tell me Rob McKenna was on Kirby Wilbur's morning program on KVI 570 AM radio talking about my PDA case (against King County) and about the last of the public forums on open government. My friend told me McKenna talked about my case specifically and said, on the air, that he hoped Armen Yousoufian would be at the event tonight in Seattle as "he was a large part of why these sessions were happening" or something along those lines. I was stunned as much as flattered. I'll be there tonight. (If any of you heard the program and know any more about what was said about me, I'd love to hear from you. My email is ayousoufian@comcast.net )
5. THIS ALL MAY BE FINE BUT AS LONG AS THE P.D.C. IS UNWILLING TO DO THEIR JOB NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE!!!!
6. I can't go either but,look forward to hearing an update of what was sid at this meeting about public dicsclosure.
7. Oops! said.My eye hand coordination takes a nap sometimes.