Front Page  »  

State lawmakers keep their schedules private

April 2, 2010

California lawmakers, supposedly public servants, continue to keep their daily schedules private, despite attempts by the Associated Press to gain access to 2009 records. [Associated Press]

All but one of the 120 current members of the Senate and the Assembly refused to reveal their appointment calendars, valuable information that would list whom lawmakers meet with and where they go.

The sole exception was state Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) who was prohibited from following through by the Senate Rules Committee.

“They serve the public, they work on the public’s dime, and their time should be open to the public for review to the extent that they are working on public matters,” said Kathay Feng, executive director of California Common Cause.

Advocates suggest that when lawmakers are considering important state issues, such as water, it would be helpful to know how often they might be meeting with lobbyists and other special interest groups.


Loading...
Subjects:
Related:


7 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

There is no such thing as transparency in our State or Federal Governments. It seems to me they all are in the politico business for their own gain, not to help the taxpayers.


0

Generally speaking I think accuracy is extremely important. Many sayings are incorrectly attributed to people to serve a political point, when they are in fact very misleading about what that person thought. However, in this case, the quote still serves to accurately represent the philosophical views of who it is attributed to.


This government has not, to any degree, feared its people for a long long time. Not since the most misrepresented and misquoted President in our history turned towards the people and through action, not words, said (in my own interpretation):


“…If you challenge me, if you stand up to me, if you DARE not grovel before me.. I will come to your cities and wage WAR upon them. I will convince those you have faulted that I am for their cause, make false promises to them, and ultimately abandon them, so that I may unleash the anger in their hearts against you. I will take your valuables, BURN your home to the ground and RAZE your churches. I will KILL you, your spouse, your children, and your animals, and then SALT your fields behind me… Or I may just send a repreentative to handle this. Either way, when I am done, I will go to the theater and catch a show…”


0

btw, that first paragraph was intended to refer to cindy’s quote, not my obviously made up one that follows.


0

Me thinks they refuse to divulge their schedules because they don’t want the people to know just how LITTLE work they actually do compared with fund raising and schmoozing.

As for the government fearing the people, all the threats being made against Congress persons right now is putting in a little fear.

I never would have believed it before, but I think it is time to take the high costs out of running for office. We need election reforms ASAP. Limit the money that can be spent, eliminate the loopholes that let PACs spend millions without oversight, and limit the access to our representatives by ALL lobbyists, or there will never be change.

Everything is always about money. Consider that all 100 US Senators are multi-millionaires and they didn’t all go in millionaires. How does one become a multi-millionaire making a salary of less than $200,000 a year? By stealing it, that’s how.


0

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

Thomas Jefferson


Stay on them Kathay and Cal Common Cause.


0

Status: We have not found any evidence that Thomas Jefferson said or wrote, “When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny,” or any of its listed variations.


http://wiki.monticello.org/mediawiki/index.php/When_governments_fear_the_people,_there_is_liberty…%28Quotation%29


0

Who gives a flying fig, if he said it or not??? Cindy’s statement is well made no madder who said it.This is the sad part. Instead of being upset with our Gov., you want to argue semantics.


Point well made Cindy.


0