We were interested in reading the new resolution that was going to be considered by the board of the Brownsville Independent School District this past Wednesday dealing with the election of members to the National School Board Association Council of Urban Boards of Education’s Steering Committee."
Since it was part of the agenda that was to be considered Wednesday, we went to the BISD's Public Information Office to see if we could get a copy of the resolution before the meeting on Wednesday. Tuesday was Veterans Day and all the BISD, city and county offices were closed.
We were asked to fill out a public information request and we asked if the BISD was going to make us wait the perfunctory 10 days before they had to turn over information or whether we could get it sooner.
Now, the resolution was included in all the board members', administrators, legal counsel agenda backup packets. It would have been a matter of minutes to make a copy and let us have it there and then. The only thing available to the public was a copy of an agenda, something that could be obtained online.The staff members at the window said they would get back to us.
Well, the meeting came and went and still no copy of the resolution.
Why?
We understand that Drue Brown runs a tight ship, but isn't the mission of that office to provide the public with timely and accurate information about what goes on in their school district?
We were able to get a copy of the resolution from other sources. Our question is: Why is is that we had to resort to subterfuge to get the information that should have been readily available to anyone who asked?
If you go to the City of Brownsville's website you are able to get not only the agenda, but also a packet of all the backup to items that are not discussed in executive session dealing with personnel or real-estate purchases. You can get that stuff right off the internet.
In the county, you get a half-full deal. The agenda is available on the county's website, but the backup materials aren't. We have touched base with the county's administrator Pete Sepulveda, to no avail. Pete says it's up to the commissioners to ask that it be put online and so far no one has bit.
If you go to his office or to the county judge's office, you will be bale to obtain agenda and backup from one of the three or four full packages printed for the media, Otherwise, it's the same as the BISD, no backup.
Other entities where no backup info is available is the Texas Southmost College back up agenda material and the Port of Brownsville.
Some may complain that it would take too much paperwork. But if the backup materials were included with the agenda online, that excuse would be moot. We're calling again to the BISD and the county to make the information avai
lable so that we can post the relevant issues to our three readers. If our public entities have nothing to hide, what's the problem?
11 comments:
The back up for a school board meetings is a total of hundreds of pages often. This is why it is now given to the board members on a disc for their computer. The agenda that goes to all administration and other s on the list is the same as online.
Since Heat-Packing Monty is the Soup, he should order Dru Brown to get on the Stick and avail these public requests to those citizens who want to be informed.
Is Drue covering for Silvai Atkinson and Bertha"La Gorda" Pena?
Bobby, is it true BISD got hit with nearly a two hundred thousand dollar jury verdict today on a whistleblower termination case?
Why make such a big deal about going to BISD for such information? You have always received the information from your dear friend Cata and perhaps soon you will be receiving it from one of BISD latest board member.
Really Juan, everyone knows you get all you information from Cata, so why the show at Public information. She has always given you items "illegally" as the pathetic board member she is. Her days are numbered.
These fuckers want to be transparent as concrete.
Interesting What is the BISD hiding? Looks like charges are going out the roof and getting so ridiculous for tax payer citizens to get BISD PUBLIC INFORMATION. I doubt the Public Officer of the BISD runs a "tight ship" as you say in your post. That office is known for leaking out information about who is requesting info and what...cesspool of gossip. Tax payers should not get charged for their right to know public info for an entity they pay taxes for and support financially.
Those that dont agree with Juan miss the point: the information needs to be made available publicly, not just to those that may have sources.
This is pure bureaucracy in action. When in doubt....rely on the bureaucracy to frustrate, delay and dilute the public. All information they provide is potentially a media firestorm and the PIO uses the bureacracy to defer those requesting info. The tax payers meet with this bureacratic bullshit, but if your taxes are late.....they will bring all their power to bear....to get paid NOW.
Yes, Carlos Elizondo. ...
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