Balico Perpetuates Media Conspiracy Theory
— by Jeffrey Wisniewski — 20 July 2010 — 9 comments below »
It is a conspiracy seemingly as old as the city itself. And everyone believes it — councilmembers, commissioners, city staff, and residents, even outside developers.
The conspiracy theory: the Contra Costa Times is out to get the city. It doesn’t really matter if what is reported is fact, or that the City agrees with 7 of 8 grand jury findings; it is written through a lens of bias.
Vice Mayor Ed Balico continued the conspiracy theory during his remarks at the last City Council meeting, first mentioning the supposed openness of subcommittee meetings (see below), and then delving into how it really doesn’t matter what the City does (on this issue, or any issue), that it will always be portrayed as bad in the newspaper…
Subcommittee meetings were until recently not placed on the City calendar or agendized, and still offer no minutes, so any discussion is lost outside of a mention that the items were discussed at subsequent City Council meetings. In the wake of the grand jury report, the City has promised to implement minutes of subcommittee meetings within six months, during which time it will research note-taking options.
The City’s response to the grand jury’s fifth recommendation (emphasis added)…
The City Council will develop a program for keeping a record of key committee meetings. The recommendation has not been implemented but will be implemented within six months from the date of publication of the Grand Jury report pending further analysis and funding. The analysis will include determining the proper method, technology and format for recording committee meetings, the meetings for which a record will be kept and the necessary source(s) of funding.
Six months to implement the change and “look into funding sources” ?????
That’s ridiculous.
They are stalling.
Six months to perform an “analysis” of “how to keep a record” of these committee meetings?
Do you people think we are STUPID????
Here is the REAL reason. Six months puts it past the next elections. The council doesn’t want to change their basic practices prior to that, it would appear in their minds to be an admission of past bad practices.
What a crock.
The meetings should be broadcast on the local government channel. That is what it is for, after all. The cable franchise with Comcast probably requires Comcast to broadcast all city meetings free of charge. That is the case with most city cable franchises. The fact that the city doesn’t require Comcast to do this (at Comcast’s expense per most cable franchise terms and conditions) simply means that the city doesn’t want to do this.
At the minimum the city could begin taping the audio portion of the meetings IMMEDIATELY; just buy a cassette or digital recorder and hit the “record” button when the committee starts its deliberations, and make the tapes available as public record. Cost? Under $200 and far less than the hourly rate the city coughed up paying attorneys to defend the Walmart litigation. Seriously, 6 months to “find the funding” ?????
I hope the grand jury takes into account the half hearted nature of the city’s efforts to address their concerns.
Oh for heaven’s sake! Just appoint someone to take notes and then post them to Dorren to transcribe and put on the website! This should not be a big deal – elementary kids could do it!
What are they afraid of? Is something going on – or not- in sub-committee meetings they are ashamed of?
I would prefer the recording or videotaping of committee meetings.
I don’t trust the committee members to approve accurate minutes.
Nevertheless, there is no good reason to take 6 months to study how to make a record of what happens at committee meetings.
Seriously. Doesn’t every phone have the ability to record video? If not, go buy a Flip cam for $200 and start recording. Upload the video and you are done.
Since the committees occur during the day when most people are at work, the sensible thing is to broadcast them on the local gov’t PEG channel. This capability already exists.
And re-broadcast them during the evenings so folks can view them after work. This capability already exists.
Also archive them for on line viewing. This capability already exists.
The camera are in place, just turn the darned things on when a committee meeting is underway.
Nelson Oliva continues to run the City as if it exists to financially benefit of his family and friends; the City Council remains silent thereby ratifying his actions. The City’s attorney defends the offending employee (Oliva) apparently forgetting who his client is while Valstad and Balico say the press is out to get them.
I’ve compared this all to Nixon and Watergate before and been criticized for the comparison; but it all sounds too familiar to me.
Our current Mayor told me months ago that there is a “vendetta” by the Times publishers against the Hercules City government; now the Vice-mayor reiterates the claim. I have yet to hear one elected or appointed official say that anything written in the Times is not true. Where are the demands for retractions? Rather than put the “truth” they talk about into the public forum, City officials and employees are essentially banned from talking to the press; send evasive responses to a Grand Jury; and stone wall us
This ban on talking to the press apparently includes consultants as Mr. Walter McKinney directed Tom Lochner to Doreen Matthews for comment.
An agency that conducts its business in private denies the public the opportunity to participate. This is unacceptable in a country founded on the idea that government derives its power from the consent of the governed.
Are we ready for change!
Right on, Bill.
Yes, it’s all the media’s fault. That is the song they are singing in Bell, CA now that public records requests from the LA Times disclosed the city manager making over $750,000 a year, police chief $500,000 a year, assistant city manager $400,000 and councilmembers making over $100,000 a year. This, in an impoverished little city of 40,000. The city manager, who has been forced to retire, will earn, every year until he’s dead, over $300,000 a year from the state pension fund.
The council’s response to all the agitation?? To paraphrase, “they are great employees and worth every penny. It is a media conspiracy at play here, the LA Times has an agenda and we are the victims.”
Sound familiar? Read Valstad’s response to the grand jury and you will see the same thing: The affordable housing program is swell, and city officials should be CONGRATULATED for its success. The newspaper has slanted the story and has a vendetta against the city.
You’ve no doubt read the Mayor Valstad’s tortured defense of things rotten in Hercules. Here is the grotesque defense the mayor of Bell had the nerve to post on his city’s website:
http://www.bellcityclerk.org/ftp/City%20of%20Bell%20Statement_072210.pdf
Yes, the brazen thievery in Bell leaves one breathless. Hercules is clearly not in their league. Nevertheless, the apparent lack of ethics in Hercules that has resulted in so many no bid contracts to “friends and families” is enough for me to say, let’s stop this nonsense before it gets any worse.
Thank god for a free press, Mr. Valstad.