While there are some members that will be strong advocates of open government, they will be drowned out by other members. And like I said above, where are the private citizens? I guess we are not important enough to be concerned about open government.
I underlined the members that are truly laughable. One of them, the SF city attorney, was even reprimanded for violations of open government;
- Diane Best, assistant attorney general, Office of the Attorney General
- Dale Blegen, publisher, De Smet News
- Jim Bolin, state Representative, Canton
- Dave Bordewyk, general manager, South Dakota Newspaper Association
- Pat Butler, managing editor, Rapid City Journal
- Jonathan Ellis, journalist, Sioux Falls Argus Leader
- Jason Gant, Secretary of State
- Tena Haraldson, director of communications and media relations, University of South Dakota
- Joe Kafka, press secretary, Office of the Governor
- Maricarrol Kueter, executive editor, Argus Leader
- Shawn Lyons, executive director, South Dakota Retailers Association
- Jack Marsh, president and chief operating officer, Al Neuharth Media Center, University of South Dakota
- Al Novstrup, state Senator, Aberdeen
- Bob O’Keefe, deputy state’s attorney, Davison County
- David Owen, president, South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- Dave Pfeifle, city attorney, Sioux Falls
- Wade Pogany, executive director, Associated School Boards of South Dakota
- Sara Rabern, public information officer, Office of the Attorney General
- Bobbi Rank, assistant attorney general, state Department of Education
- Mark Roby, publisher, Watertown Public Opinion
- Lisa Rothschadl, chair, South Dakota Open Meeting Commission
- Greg Sattizahn, director of policy and legal services, Unified Judicial System
- Yvonne Taylor, executive director, South Dakota Municipal League
- Kevin Thom, sheriff, Pennington County
- Seth Tupper, editor, The Daily Republic, Mitchell
- Tony Venhuizen, director of policy and communications, Office of the Governor
- Waltner, Tim, publisher, Freeman Courier
- David Wiest, deputy secretary, state Department of Revenue
- Bob Wilcox, executive director, South Dakota Association of County Commissioners
- Steve Willard, president, South Dakota Broadcasters Association
- Susan Wismer, state Representative, Britton
- Diane Worrall, executive director, South Dakota Association of Towns and Townships
- Terry Woster, public information officer, state Department of Public Safety
Underline Roby of Watertown. This is the guy who will write about open gov but every-time it happens in Watertown he chastise it.
If some of the city council members meet in a cafe on Saturday morning and urge people to come and visit about their concerns and ideas, he seems to think that is wrong. Those council members are all negative to his “progressive” style. Or maybe they were just conveying what they heard from the voters that day.
But he and the other higher ups in Watertown meet behind closed doors, fire good Watertown people, push through their agenda, then he writes with his poison pen on the way he interrupts it things, as long as it his way, “the right way”
We have city committee meeting that have not had agenda posted, minutes posted. Meetings have been canceled without notice, moved without notice. But the Watertown PO does not write about them.
I have often said open meeting laws need to come with stiffer penalties. Start fining actual elected officials and the shit would end real quick. This slap on the wrist approach is dumb.
This committee is Orwellian Doublespeak on steroids. Everyone on the list is there to protect their personal or organizational interests.
Not one person on this list is for actual open records:
Jason Gant? What? What part of Jason Gant’s career shows he is capable of critical thought to assist in making real open records? His whole career resembles “how do I hide the truth?”
The state officials are hiding their decisions.
The local sheriffs do not want the public to see the real numbers and crimes they are a party to.
The newspapers don;t want the bloggers to read a document and figure out what is really going on.
What if a public employee saw something in the public record they know is false? They would be fired or prosecuted in today’s ‘open’ records system. This is not the real 1970’s version of open records / sunshine rules. These open records rules are to determine which records might be safe to release with the least amount of damage to the rising political careers. This group only knows secrets and how to make rules to keep them.
I agree with you on lack of citizen participation, Scott, though some (like Tena Haraldson) are no longer with the media yet very well-versed on the shortcomings of “open government” in SD.
The Task Force will meet several times this summer and fall. The initial meeting will be Aug. 22, at 1 p.m. CDT, in the Capitol Lake Visitor Center in Pierre.
The public is typically welcome to attend these meetings and offer input. Hopefully, one or two meetings will be held in Sioux Falls.
I am still trying to figure out who on this list could possibly care if the public has the right to the information. Has anyone else decided who is here representing us?
The list of vested interests in suppressing the citizens full knowledge is given to us. The secret contracts, backroom deals, quid pro quo / status quo and the like are protected by everyone I see on this list.
Come on fellow readers, help me find some ray of hope…
There will never be open government in SD, especially when you have a Republican governor appointing the committee.