Secrets and lies in the state legislature
This story has been on the N&O's Web site all day, but it's worth catching up with if you haven't read it yet.
It shows, as if further demonstrations were needed, how arrogant and disdainful of fair and open government legislative leaders are in our state capital.
N.C. Senate poohbah Tony Rand bars reporter Dan Kane from a budget meeting, telling him it isn't a budget meeting.
Budget meeting as in a meeting about spending billions of public dollars ... behind closed doors ... without even an attempt to provide a legal justification.
In at least some parts of the legislative complex, "because I said so" passes for the rule of law.
Comments (5)
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If you think this bunch of jackasses your paper endorse , just because they are liberals are worrying about a 70 million dollar short fall, just wait. I had to make a unexpected trip to South Hill Va, today. Except around the cities, I had the road to myself. Last month, I went to a show in Tennessee, we did not have tickets and told my wife to forget it. My wife does not forget it. Walk up and got up front tickets. I have a friend that owns a construction company that has been growing like wild fire for 20 years. I talked to his wife, in South Hill, she told me they had zero contracts for next year. If this country does not do something about the energy problem we will go to hell in a hand basket, very soon. Saying that I do not mean the Pelosi plan your paper was so hot on before the 2006 election. That did not work. Are the Obamba plan to tax the oil companies 15 million and give the money to the lazy. We need a real energy plan today, not in the year 2028 as Obamba and McCain are talking about.
Posted on June 27, 2008 7:33 PM
Doug,
This is a case where what's right and what's legal don't mesh up.
What's right would be for the entire budget process to be in the open. Period. End of story.
Some operations of the General Assembly are, and have been for years, exempt from the open meetings laws. One of those exceptions are conference committees of the general assembly (see GS 143-318.18). The budget is in conference committee now between the House and Senate, so that's one out.
Also, the meeting that Kane was booted from involved just the chairs of the conference committee, not even close to a quorum of membership. So they have an out on two fronts.
So was there a legal justificatoin required for closing the meeting? Yes, two of them.
Should they have let Kane, or anyone else who wanted to in? Certainly we scruffy media types would prefer that. It would be in the best interest of the public understanding how their $21 billion (give or take) is spent.
Posted on June 27, 2008 9:03 PM
Thanks, Mark. Maybe Kane would not have written the story if he'd been given an explanation when he asked why the meeting was closed.
Posted on June 27, 2008 10:55 PM
N.C. Senate poohbah Tony Rand bars reporter Dan Kane from a budget meeting, telling him it isn't a budget meeting*Doug
That is like the Wizard of Oz telling Dorothy she can't peek behind the curtain to see what evil he is brewing!
Mr Rand is like the Wiz, smoke and mirrors and a paper tiger when expose for being a good old boy establishment democrat.
Posted on June 27, 2008 11:11 PM
Thanks, Clark & Binker, for serving as the fourth branch of goverment.
Posted on June 28, 2008 2:17 AM