Home Uncategorized UPDATE: Elected Officials Speak Out on Restricting Public Access with Passwords

UPDATE: Elected Officials Speak Out on Restricting Public Access with Passwords

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Free and Easy Public Access is Supported by All

“As soon as this issue was brought to my attention by several calls from concerned citizens, I sent an email to Mr. Matt Arvay, the City/County CIO officer requesting that this situation be correct immediately. My email was sent to Mr. Arvay at 8:55 P.M. last evening. Denying the people access to their government is contrary to everything that our forefathers fought and died to guarantee that their government is held accountable and the access to information regarding actions by their elected officials and those who are appointed by those officials in positions of policy is not hindered. As an elected official, I take freedom of information very serious and do not condone any actions that violate this sacred right.” John Friend, 5th Ward Councilman

Dan McGinn
“I find any attempt to deprive the public of information to which it is entitled appalling. Secrecy by government officials is a direct attack upon the very foundations upon which our great Country is built. If this restriction on the access to the minutes of the Evansville Redevelopment Commission was an accident, action must be taken to ensure that it never happens again. If it was an intentional action then those responsible should be ashamed to call themselves Americans.” Dan McGinn, Evansville City Councilman from the First Ward

Dr. H. Dan Adams
“At a time in nation’s history when we are finally getting long overdue, deep insights into the process of governmental revenue and spending details on all levels (Google the Association of Governmental Accountability (AGA) of which I am a member), we need and should demand more clarity in reporting and less, not more, hoops to go through to get it. It just does not make common sense nor lend credence to the ERC’s continued existence as a commission that spends millions of tax dollars w/o close oversight by an elected group of officials. The minutes are surely spun for consumption so what is there to hide? It is just not good public policy. See my website, hdanadams.com for a classic example of a city transparency report. The ERC should follow it.” H. Dan Adams, MD MBA, Evansville City Councilman At-Large

5 COMMENTS

  1. Okay. Both you gentlemen are members of an elected council that severely edits its meeting minutes. In addition, the public comments on pending city council actions occurs during the subcommittee report section of the meeting with no minutes except taped recordings. Are those taped minutes backed up anywhere? Are they available hardcopy?

    By comparison, the county commissioner meetings, area plan commission meetings, county drainage board meetings, and other county business is transcribed verbatim, and published on the county auditor’s website.

    So, guys, let’s not have the pot pointing fingers at the kettle. Okay?

  2. Bravo to Dan Adams and Dan McGinn. Hopefully these 2 independent thinking Councilmen will insist upon full disclosure from the City on how the password control appeared on the ERC agenda/minutes webpage run by the City.

    • How about they just discover how it happened and clue us in. Seems an elected official with his hands on departmental purse strings could easily ferret out the culprit.

  3. this is a fabricated story by the delusional writers o the COO. Shame on the Councilmen for assuming the worst is true of staff that serves the community.

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