Priorities???

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Now I realize that athletics, and especially Middie athletics, are important to many of you. And I realize that I risk alienating some of you.
But I will take that risk, as I feel that this is important, not to me as an individual, but to our entire community--the entire city of Middletown and all of its citizens, including those yet unborn.
Our city has been going and continues to go down a death spiral from which we might never recover. At the heart of this journey, either steering downward or struggling against the flow (depending upon one’s view) is our city government. The course is charted twice a month during OUR city council meetings. Without a motion, a second, or a vote, it has been decided to move a good portion of the discussion of our city’s future OUT of the view and earshot of the vast majority of our city’s citizens.
The only reason we have been given?

“There are sensitive things to discuss that are not good for the council floor.”
A LARGER FUSS HAS BEEN MADE, BOTH HERE ON THIS FORUM AND THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, about the loss of the live radio broadcast of the high school basketball games!
As a result, fans will be able to listen to the games called over the Internet live, and watch the games on a tape-delayed basis on TVMiddletown-Ch. 24, the very TV station whose facilities and personnel are funded, in most part by the citizens of our city through a fee included in their Time-Warner cable bill every month thanks to the action of our City Hall!
Please consider some of these excerpts from a local newspaper article:

“Ty Thomas, executive director of TV Middletown, understands the importance of high school sports in the Middletown area.”
What a shame that Mr. Thomas doesn’t understand the importance of a fully informed citizenry, a fully informed local electorate, and “step into action” and use the facilities that are available at our citizen-provided council chambers to at least tape these clandestine sessions for a delayed broadcast on OUR local origination station. 

"‘The Middies are important to our community,’ Thomas said.”
The discussion of city business by our elected and appointed leaders is at least as important, is it not, Mr. Thomas?

"‘We're tickled to death,’ Thomas said. ‘It's a nice partnership to keep the Middies alive on the air.’”
Would not the same effort be worthwhile to keep our CITY alive? 

“For the time being, fans will be able to listen to the games called over the Internet live, but still watch the games on a tape-delayed basis on TV Middletown-Ch. 24.”
I, for one, would be happy to watch the clandestine portion of the city hall games on a tape-delayed basis on TV Middletown.
I can only presume to be speaking for a significant number of other citizens who might be disabled, infirm, work second shift, do not drive, have other obligations on the first Tuesday evening of every month, or otherwise find it difficult to keep an eye and ear on their public SERVANTS live and in person.
I can only hope that I am speaking for a VERY LARGE NUMBER!!!

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Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Priorities??? Posted: Feb 03 2011 at 6:07am
	Now I realize that athletics, and especially Middie athletics, are important to many of you. And I realize that I risk alienating some of you. But I will take that risk, as I feel that this is important, not to me as an individual, but to our entire community--the entire city of Middletown and all of its citizens, including those yet unborn. Our city has been going and continues to go down a death spiral from which we might never recover. At the heart of this journey, either steering downward or struggling against the flow (depending upon one’s view) is our city government. The course is charted twice a month during OUR city council meetings. Without a motion, a second, or a vote, it has been decided to move a good portion of the discussion of our city’s future *OUT* of the view and earshot of the vast majority of our city’s citizens. The only reason we have been given? “There are sensitive things to discuss that are not good for the council floor.” *A LARGER FUSS HAS BEEN MADE, BOTH HERE ON THIS FORUM AND THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY,* about the loss of the live radio broadcast of the high school basketball games! As a result, fans will be able to listen to the games called over the Internet live, and watch the games on a tape-delayed basis on TVMiddletown-Ch. 24, the very TV station whose facilities and personnel are funded, in most part by the citizens of our city through a fee included in their Time-Warner cable bill every month thanks to the action of our City Hall! Please consider some of these excerpts from a local newspaper article: “Ty Thomas, executive director of TV Middletown, understands the importance of high school sports in the Middletown area.” What a shame that Mr. Thomas doesn’t understand the importance of a fully informed citizenry, a fully informed local electorate, and “step into action” and use the facilities that are available at our citizen-provided council chambers to at least tape these clandestine sessions for a delayed broadcast on OUR local origination station. "‘The Middies are important to our community,’ Thomas said.” The discussion of city business by our elected and appointed leaders is at least as important, is it not, Mr. Thomas? "‘We're tickled to death,’ Thomas said. ‘It's a nice partnership to keep the Middies alive on the air.’” Would not the same effort be worthwhile to keep our CITY alive? “For the time being, fans will be able to listen to the *games* called over the Internet live, but still watch the *games* on a tape-delayed basis on TV Middletown-Ch. 24.” I, for one, would be happy to watch the clandestine portion of the city hall games on a tape-delayed basis on TV Middletown. I can only presume to be speaking for a significant number of other citizens who might be disabled, infirm, work second shift, do not drive, have other obligations on the first Tuesday evening of every month, or otherwise find it difficult to keep an eye and ear on their *public SERVANTS* live and in person. I can only hope that I am speaking for a *VERY LARGE NUMBER!!!*
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

VietVet Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008	Post Options Post Reply Quote VietVet Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 03 2011 at 8:24am
	Well said Mike. Still, I am pleased that someone in town has picked up the gauntlet and we can still listen in on the games. This arrangement that Gilleland and crew has decided upon as to talking about issues with no citizen participation....isn't there something in all of this that can be construed as a violation of the Sunshine Law. Thought the Sunshine Law was to cover business transactions and internal personel matters. Most of the business they are talking about doesn't fit into these categories does it? Ty Thomas knows where his bread is buttered financially. To keep his job intact and to keep TV Middletown on the air, he has to please council and the city manager or he loses funding. He will never go against the grain and insist on televising these sessions. Thomas is probably a member in good standing in the inner circle and does what he is told to do. I'm sure the programming must meet the approval of city hall before televising. As to the number of citizens that are interested in what their city leaders do......I think most people in this town wait for the city to do something stupid, then react by mildly complaining in Sound Off, especially if it affects them in a personal way such as in the wallet. I don't think most people follow the activity in town on a day to day basis like we do here. (again, the Apathy Disease) JMO

middletownscouter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 11 2010 Location: Sunset Park Status: Offline Points: 501	Post Options Post Reply Quote middletownscouter Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 03 2011 at 3:14pm
	I think the secrecy factor here may be a bit overstated. These are not clandestine meetings being held in secret behind closed doors, only available to a select few people. This isn't the Illuminati. The meetings are open to the public. Anyone who wants to attend may do so. There's not even a rule against recording the meetings. Just that TV Middletown won't be. TV Middletown doesn't even service a good percentage of the city's residents. Those who don't buy their television service from Time Warner - who use over the air broadcast, internet streaming, or another provider like AT&T, DISH or DirecTV - cannot see any of the city council meetings at all. If the meetings weren't open to the public, the agendas and workbooks published to the city's website ahead of time and the minutes likely published as well, I think there would be more people up in arms about a secret meeting. But since all that is happening is that the portion of Middletown residents who normally can see city council meetings on television won't be able to watch the work sessions on TV Middletown but can show up if they want or read about it from official open sources...

VietVet Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008	Post Options Post Reply Quote VietVet Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 03 2011 at 3:38pm
	midd. scouter....you may be right, but can you explain why you think they needed a meeting before the regular meeting to discuss things "around the corner" so to speak? Doesn't that give the appearance, whether intentional or not, of "hiding" something from an already suspicious public? Wonder why they chose to not include doing these meetings before a mass media source like TV Middletown? The stars just don't line up on this one, do they?

middletownscouter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 11 2010 Location: Sunset Park Status: Offline Points: 501	Post Options Post Reply Quote middletownscouter Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 03 2011 at 5:06pm
	I agree that I'm not sure I see a need to NOT televise the work sessions, but I don't agree that this is an attempt to be sneaky or hide anything when everything they're doing is published in the minutes posted on the website or can be viewed by members of the public in person when it happens.

Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 03 2011 at 9:32pm
	Scouter: I hope that you’ll *be prepared* () for my reply!!! You state: I think the secrecy factor here may be a bit overstated. These are not clandestine meetings being held in secret behind closed doors, only available to a select few people. This isn't the Illuminati. Perhaps those metaphors do overstate by a bit, but only because city hall is making an effort to stay within the letter (but certainly not the spirit) of the Open Meeting laws. You state: The meetings are open to the public. Anyone who wants to attend may do so. There's not even a rule against recording the meetings. Just that TV Middletown won't be. While it is true that the meetings are open to the public, it is NOT factual to state that “Anyone who wants to attend may do so.” As I enumerated above, there are a number of reasons why some people either just cannot attend, or find it extremely difficult to do so. You state: TV Middletown doesn't even service a good percentage of the city's residents. Those who don't buy their television service from Time Warner - who use over the air broadcast, internet streaming, or another provider like AT&T, DISH or DirecTV - cannot see any of the city council meetings at all. This is not quite correct! Anyone who uses the internet at all can watch TVMiddltown’s rebroadcast, via Blip TV, any time that they care to do so. You state: But since all that is happening is that the portion of Middletown residents who normally can see city council meetings on television won't be able to watch the work sessions on TV Middletown but can show up if they want or read about it from official open sources... Even though I realize that I take my responsibility for staying informed on local civic affairs more seriously than most, it seems quite cavalier to me for someone to say “all that is happening…” as if this were no big deal. This is especially true when you state that you: “agree that I'm not sure I see a need to NOT televise the work sessions…” You do not see a need NOT to televise the work sessions because there ARE NO good reasons *NOT* to televise the work sessions. Everything is there, set up and ready to do it! The *ONLY* reasons that they can give would actually turn out to be reasons that they SHOULD be televised!!! Those reasons are: They are either embarrassed or afraid to say, in public, what they want to say. You state: I agree that I'm not sure I see a need to NOT televise the work sessions, but I don't agree that this is an attempt to be sneaky or hide anything when everything they're doing is published in the minutes posted on the website or can be viewed by members of the public in person when it happens. If this were NOT “an attempt to be sneaky or hide” something, then we would KNOW the reason for them now wanting the work sessions televised, wouldn’t we??? And as far as: “everything they're doing is published in the minutes posted on the website” Well, as you agree, we do NOT know the real reason why they do NOT want work sessions televised, yet it was discussed in an official, public, City Council meeting! All that the minutes stated is: “Ms. Gilleland asked Council to consider going back to work sessions. There are sensitive things to discuss that are not good for the Council floor but not subject to executive session discussions. Discussion ensued regarding work sessions on the first Tuesday of the month at 5:30. The majority of council felt it was a good idea.” So, as you can see, “everything" that they did was NOT “published in the minutes”!!! We were NOT given any idea of the reasons for the semi-private work sessions, nor any of the logic behind it, nor any hint of how much of a “majority of council felt it was a good idea”, nor who was for it, nor who was against it. All of this is information that an informed citizenry requires, but now it is lost forever. There is no record. And if you recall, the last time that they pulled this trick, they began voting on issues in these meetings, even though they had stated that they never would!!! Also, in the past, there has always been required a motion, a second, and a roll call vote before they could even change the order of the agenda. Please notice that there was no motion, no second, and no vote, therefore NO DEMOCRACY, on this major change to the very structure of *OUR* city council meetings!!! In closing, if you believe that this change is in THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE (which is what EVERYTHING council does should be about) then please attend the next meeting by going to the "second star to the right and straight on 'til morning. " The people there will believe anything, too.
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

rem 1187 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Immigrant Joined: Jan 25 2011 Status: Offline Points: 30	Post Options Post Reply Quote rem 1187 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 05 2011 at 9:18am
	Mike- in regards to your first post I agree that the priorities of the citizens in this town are at times hard to understand. I don't want to over state your comments because i know your concerns are from the heart and you only want the best for this town. I feel this that this topic is a black or white subject,either televise all the meeting such as the HUD topics or don't televise any of the meetings. I look at this as another terrible P.R. move by the city. I will say that the city will make accomodations for anyone to attend the meetings as you well know. I called Mr. Thomas and asked him why T.V. Midd. wasn't going to televise this segment of the meetings. I did not tell him I would post his comments on any type of forum so I would encourage you to call him and ask the same question. I don't mean to make this into a " I dare you" statement but Mr. Thomas was very open and I felt honest with me. If you have spoken to him then I apologize for burning up time. Who pays for T.V. Midd. I thought that the taxpayers of this city did. I plan on letting my ward rep. know that i'm not happy with this decision. It does not meet the standard " In the best interest of the people"

Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 06 2011 at 4:14am
	Rem, Thank you for your civil reply. First, I would like to clear up any misconceptions that anyone might have gotten from my posts that I blame Mr. Thomas or TV Middletown (TVM) for the decision not to broadcast the first hour of the first meeting of council every month. I realize that city hall, and not TVM, is making that call. City Hall, through the appropriations process, controls the bulk of TVM’s funding and TVM would cease to exist if they tried to fly in the face of city hall by recording and airing these sessions that city hall does NOT want we, The People, to see. The sole reason that I brought Mr. Thomas’ name into this was because of his quotes in a local newspaper article regarding the decision by the new owners of WPFB to cease broadcasting Middie basketball games. I was trying to contrast his reaction, which I perceived to be the typical reaction of Middletonians both noted and nameless, to the astounding (in my view) lack of reaction to the loss of the broadcasting of the actual debate and discussion portion of our city council meetings. The point is that the loss of the basketball game broadcasts was deemed worthy of a feature story by the local newspaper, while the loss of broadcast of the discussion of legislation to govern our city, and policy to guide the direction of our city was seen as barely worthy of mention. This was not a surprise, though, as the local newspaper has hardly been a voice in favor of democracy or citizens’ rights in several years. In fact, it has been little more than a mouthpiece for city hall and the few power brokers and behind-the-scenes shot-callers that have been trying to manipulate our city toward their personal goals. One would think that there would be others protesting this blatant move by city hall as loudly as I, but that has not seems to be the case. If the citizens of Middletown stand for this, they deserve whatever they get--whatever shameless politicians cook up and spring on them at the last moment and vote on with no publicity and no broadcast discussion. As you stated, this policy “is NOT in the best interest of the people.” OPEN, PUBLIC discussion of public business by the people’s elected and appointed servants , where and how THE MOST PEOPLE POSSIBLE can see and hear it, is in the best interest of the people.
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 06 2011 at 4:26am
	Rem, By the way, even though it is a good thing that you "plan on letting my ward rep. know that i'm not happy with this decision." please consider this: From the published minutes of the "retreat" council meeting, we have no way of knowing who was in favor of this or who was against it. Nor are we privy to whether or not any of our elected representative argued for or against this betrayal of the people's trust. Therefore you will have no yardstick against which to measure any response you might receive. Of course, it would be different if you could have actually watched this discussion on TVM, or on a replay on BlipTV. You could've seen for yourself where your rep may have stood and factored it into your voting plans at the next election. Now it will be more difficult to hold our public officials accountable. Perhaps that is what they have in mind???
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012