Who’s afraid of the big bad Blogger?
The Messenger Post newspaper had a great article about the episode where a video was made that didn’t portray some members of the the Pittsford Town board in a favorable light.
As I read the article, I was struck by why people are going to town meetings and video taping.
The Pittsford Town Board meetings are not broadcast over an access channel. Unlike my town of Brighton whose meetings are broadcast - the Pittsford meetings are not.
I think this message got lost in the article. Open government access is what is desired. The spark that set this video off was as I recall, the apparent difference board meeting minutes posted on the Internet and those in the clerks office.
Check out Jerri Kaiser’s thoughts on this from her Political blog at the D&C. (Jerri is one of the community contributers). She says blogging is the new telegram. Frankly I think she is right. The Internet isn’t going away - but it significantly lowers the entry barriers to report and share information. Yes, report and share information. I mean, what do you need? A camera and time.But for people not ready to embrace openness it is a threat that needs to be controlled.
Rather than embrace it they attack it.
So What other Towns broadcast their town board meetings?
Related posts:
Oh - in the “what do you expect department”. For someone who doesn’t believe in commenting on the Pittsford video, check out Sandra Zute’s comments. Apparently it is worth commenting upon. How many sides does her mouth have anyway? Then again - what do you expect?
Webster does cable access of its board meetings
The entire west side is about to lose theirs. The Town of Greece wants to merge the cable access fees with Gates, Chili, Ogden, Parma, Hilton and who knows who else, contract and locate the cable operations for the west side in the Greece School District, contract 3rd party or with the districts, let Greece students use it for class credit, and take the over 3 Million dollars that the franchise fees total, and stick them in their westside metro governmental pocket. Then they can also CONTROL what is seen. Expect the same on the east side soon. The west side is the first to go - if they get this passed, the east will follow. Why censor when you can control? And say goodbye to the church broadcasts. If kids can’t pray in school, they can broadcast prayer? I think NOT.
Contact Brian Caterino at Educable on Ridgeway Avenue. The correspondence he has regarding this and the FOIL refusals are quite eye-opening. The entire battle started over access by a Democratic candidate to public cable broadcasts. Aubergers response: Do as I say or I’ll take it away. If it doesn’t get greater media/public coverage, and if people on the west side don’t take a stand soon, Maggie Brooks & Co. (all of the Greece board members but 1 work directly for her) will own the entire westside cable operations.
No cameras (from either side) at a contentious Pittsford TB meeting last night.
The Village of Brockport broadcasts its biweekly Board meetings on public access Channel 12 through Edu-Cable.
Then Brockport is on the list. Educable is being cut out. It’ll all be run by the kiddies and Roger Boiley on the school board in Greece. Your town is added to the list of towns that will be paying to support the bloated Greece School District. Congratulations.