Pueblog USa
Friday, April 25, 2008
Conduct of Public Officials
Thurston, Conflict of Interest
Testimony to Pueblo City Council
Conduct of Public Officials
April 21, 2008
Madame President Barbara Vidmar and Distinguished Council Members,
My name is Dr. Alvin Rivera. My topic is “the conduct of public officials.’ I shall outline the problem and offer some suggestions for solutions.
First, the role of the public official may be instructive for this council. If there is a more important role for a public official than to hear the views of the citizenry I can’t imagine what it would be. In the past year, and starting on the second year, we have witnessed a deterioration of citizen’s free speech rights in the council, a removal of the television cameras to eliminate the opportunity of the public to hear the views of civic leaders, and in the words of my colleague, Ted Freeman, “The Public Forum is not a public forum at all. There is not a give-and-take exchange between the citizens addressing the council because the council does not permit it.”