Pueblog USa
Friday, January 18, 2008
Pueblo Citizens for Open Government Meeting - Tuesday Janurary 22nd 6pm Rawlings Library
Help us to save free speech in Pueblo, Colorado!
Pueblo City Council has shut down the public’s right to speak at the regular televised city council meetings.
City Council President Judy Weaver says: “People have to understand that this is our meeting being held in public; it’s not a public meeting.”
Join us to find out what we can do as a community to regain our voice at City Hall.
6pm Janurary 22nd - Pueblo City-County Library District: Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library
Address: 100 E Abriendo Ave - Pueblo, CO 81004 http://www.pueblofreespeech.org
On September 24th 2007 the Pueblo City Council voted to deny citizens the right to speak during regular televised city council meetings. The ability for citizens to address city council was moved to the work session meetings, which are not televised. This action was taken one month before the municipal election without any opportunity for public input.
The City Council had just placed several controversial issues on the municipal ballot. Dissenting views before the election were silenced as comment was removed from public view. The free exchange of ideas that should occur before any democratic election was brought to a halt by this council’s heavy-handed actions!
In a recent article in the Pueblo Chieftain City Council President Judy Weaver dismissed arguments that removing public comment from the television cameras would have a chilling effect on a person’s First Amendment rights to address their elected officials. “People have to understand that this is our meeting being held in public; it’s not a public meeting,” Weaver said. - September 29 Pueblo Chieftain.
Next entry: Part 1: So What Was Going with that Historic District and Council? Previous entry: URBAN RENEWAL AREA FOR THUNDERVILLAGE
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If you’ll go to the City’s web site, you’ll notice that today’s work session for City Council has been cancelled. This means that the Public Forum opportunity held before the work sessions is also cancelled. Regular meetings are hardly ever cancelled. By changing the Public Forum time to work sessions instead of regular sessions, they have denied the public an opportunity to address Council as a whole.
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 01/22 at 09:50 AM -
TO: All
RE: The Public ForumIt is my considered opinion that EVERY meeting of the City Council—Work, Hearing or Special—should be preceded by a Public Forum period.
How to deal with the habitual complainers is another matter.
Whatever, it should be codified in the City Ordinances.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend, to the death, your right to say it; wherever it may be said.—Voltaire, updated and paraphrased].(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 01/25 at 06:54 AM