Chicanery behind closed doors
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown City Government
Forum Name: City Council
Forum Description: Discuss individual members and council as a legislative body.
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4907
Printed Date: Nov 26 2024 at 8:29pm
Topic: Chicanery behind closed doors
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Subject: Chicanery behind closed doors
Date Posted: Dec 04 2012 at 8:20am
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Once again tonight, they will be going into the seemingly obligatory executive
session to discuss “the sale of property at competitive bidding”!!! Now, according to past Ohio Attorneys General: “a public body may adjourn into executive
session to consider the sale of real or personal property by competitive bid ONLY if
disclosure of the information would result in a competitive advantage to the a
person whose personal, private interest is adverse to the general public
interest. No member of a public body may use this exception as subterfuge to provide
covert information to prospective buyers or sellers.” So, if they haven’t even decided to sell a property yet, how could discussing it in the open possibly give one person a “competitive advantage??? Only discussing it in PRIVATE and LEAKING information could do that…or discussing it in private with a possible single buyer or a third party. The only way to PREVENT
giving anyone a competitive advantage is to hold ALL discussions in PUBLIC!!! The only possible reason for holding such discussions in private is to prevent public outrage until they can conjure up a plausible cover story for their risky schemes. We already know, for a fact, that the sale of airport property has been disclosed to a SINGLE PROSPECTIVE BUYER before the sale of this public property was EVER discussed by council in open meetings, thereby giving him a competitive advantage!!!
------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Replies:
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Dec 04 2012 at 8:33am
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How Did the Founders Feel About Open Government? "Information is the currency of democracy." ...Thomas Jefferson "The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them . . . To cover with the veil of secrecy the common routine of business, is an abomination in the eyes of every intelligent man." ...Patrick Henry
"A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives." ...James Madison
"Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right and a desire to know; but besides this, they have a right, an indisputable, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge, I mean of the characters and conduct of their rulers." ...John Adams
------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Dec 04 2012 at 11:29am
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"Now, according to past Ohio Attorneys General: “a public body may adjourn into executive session to consider the sale of real or personal property by competitive bid ONLY if disclosure of the information would result in a competitive advantage to the a person whose personal, private interest is adverse to the general public interest. No member of a public body may use this exception as subterfuge to provide covert information to prospective buyers or sellers.” Be nice to pick up the phone, call the Atty. General's office and fax them the agenda item for their info and inform them that the discussion will be held out of public view. Perhaps if they receive the info. early enough, they can come down from Columbus and observe also. OR......maybe they won't care at all to enforce their laws.  ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Dec 04 2012 at 1:59pm
attorney general's office can't help us here. You would need to handle this with a private attorney. In other words bring suit against city council. Don't we have a couple of attorneys on council? HMMM...... 
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Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Dec 04 2012 at 2:37pm
If you are correct over the hill, as citizens, we will never get all on the same page, much less contribute to the attorney's fees to represent us against the city. The two attorneys on council would be indicting themselves if they intervened on behalf of the people. They are willing participants in the "executive session/hidden agenda" program. They are part of the problem and not the solution. Mike stated the source being the Attorney General. If there is a violation of their laws, wouldn't they be the slight bit interested? ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
over the hill wrote:Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Dec 04 2012 at 3:36pm
VV Apparently not. That was the imformation given to me by the person I spoke to at the AGO. I too mistakenly thought they would be interested. WELL THAT'S WHAT I GET FOR THINKING. 
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Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Dec 04 2012 at 3:40pm
| The attorneys on council,you would think, would caution them in the folly of their ways. OOPS, There I go again ,thinking! |