Posted on 06/24/2004 7:16:23 AM PDT by green iguana
I disagree. We must have cams with sound in every room of the White house broadcast on the internet 24/7. In fact we should have a microphone in Bush's bedroom in case he discusses policy with Laura or talks in his sleep.
National security was one potential issue here, but I suspect the bigger reason for the secrecy was that many of these discussions revolved around proprietary energy technology that belongs to private companies and shouldn't be revealed to the public for obvious reasons.
Sounds like they're giving the lower court the chance to correct the original ruling.
My local gov't goes into executive session all the time, which is private. No one seems to be too concerned.
And every year since then they try to find loopholes around it.
So what. Politicians vote for bills for all sorts of reasons other than the stated ones. What matters is the result. Shall we make politicians take lie detector tests in order to ferret out their "alterior motives" when voting ?
Not to mention every politician, politician wannabe, actor, singer, activist group, activist....and on and on. Good lord, we'd still be debating whether to go after terrorism three years after 9/11/01. We'd never get an energy policy of any type...there would be a group of wackos tying up every attempt to create any policy indefinitely.
And open hearings would hold them accountable when they conspire with others for such purposes.
Regardless, I have listened to the reasoned arguements given by other posters on this thread and have conceded the issue.
Not even for hire/fire issues ?
First, no one needs to disclose an alterior motive when one can claim the apparent motive. Second, hearings do not ordinarily cross gov't branches. Third, we can judge the results ourselves. Fourth, the cure is the voting booth.
I am positive that the DUmmy who posted this has no idea that the Boston Tea Party was a protest against that which the scumbag Democrats love most - - TAXES! (Doh...!)
The hypocrisy and utter cluelessness of the simpletons over there is downright hilarious!
I'm not sure about that, they have carved out loopholes but the rule is there can't be more than one of them together without it being on public record.
"So a republican president can keep who they met with private, but you can sue in civil court a democratic president" - 'shoelaces'
And also you can make an apple pie from apples, but you can't make apple juice from oranges.
Never work in my town. too small. I couldn't go anywhere without running into some town representaive.
It's only elected officials that can't be together off record.
They want every record of every word uttered at every meeting concerning the energy task force. That includes all namess and words of all present, elected official oor consultant.
That is the point. I go to Rotary and there are about 3 or 4 elected official, some even sitting at the same table. I go to my daughters graduation and there were elected officials there too, some in the same classroom putting on the gowns and some making small talk in the hallway. I go to vote at the end of the day for the budget and lo and behold guess who is gathered together chatting while waiting to hear the vote ? Yep. elected officials. I go to our parade and town celebration day and guess who is marching while chatting together while they walk ? Yep, elected officials.
If our town had this same law we would have to have a fleet of stenographers on call at all times. Are you sure there isn't something left out of your understanding of the law ?
It was explained to me by two different County Commissioners.
"It is essential for the public interest that I should receive all the information possible respecting either matters or persons connected with the public. To induce people to give this information, they must feel assured that when deposited with me it is secret and sacred. Honest men might justifiably withhold information, if they expected the communication would be made public, and commit them to war with their neighbors and friends. "
Thomas Jefferson to John Smith, 1807
Or you don't?
Perhaps congress should require the President to submit a daily tape recording of all his and his appointees conversations- supplemented with a journal of all their thoughts.
It would go a long way to removing those "separated powers" that interfere so much with the government running the country efficiently.
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