Interesting North County Times opinion piece about local governments streaming their city council meetings live over the web:
Your government @ transparency
In addition to Internet video streaming, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Escondido, Solana Beach, Del Mar and San Diego County also broadcast their meetings live on area cable television systems. San Marcos and Vista both offer a delayed cable broadcast of their council meetings.
North County's two transparency truants are Encinitas and Poway, which offer only delayed cable broadcasts of their council meetings. Poway finally got around to even this tardy televising of its meetings only about two months ago.
All it would take Encinitas to broadcast its council meetings live is a flick of the switch and some municipal pocket change. Council members have talked a good game about streaming their meetings online, but didn't set aside one thin dime toward that goal this fiscal year. Hopefully, regional peer pressure will make it act sooner rather than later.
Of course, all of the video in the world, streaming or otherwise, won't make a difference if local residents don't actually tune in or log on to see their local governments in action, and, after watching, participate in the political process. But it does give voters one less excuse for not being informed and involved.
I think streaming the meetings live is a good idea but even more I would like the meetings to be archived in a podcast or something for viewing when you have time. Heck, let's put all the meetings on You Tube.
The city hasn't been all that happy about giving taxpayers access to information in the past Hobbyist, Democracy and Integrity Frustrate Local Tool Sharpener
It obvious to me the same three knuckleheads that vote to keep Encinitas an ashtray, keep the City from being transparent.
ReplyDeleteStocks, Bond, and Dalager hate transparency and used to love all the closed door sessions. Remember that when Stocks and Bond are up for election.
Come on Gentlemen- Get with the times and go transparent. Flip the switch. That way you won’t wind up like Duke Cunningham.
streaming is not that helpful. If you want to see it in real time go to city hall. If you want to watch archived footage you are in for resistance. It would be good to have archived footage on line.
ReplyDeleteThe key players here are city manager Phil Cotton and the three stooges, dumb, dumber, and dumbest. They can decide if they want more transparency in city government. Up until now the answer has always been NO. Kerry Miller hated the Brown Act and did everything possible to work in secret.
ReplyDeletePhil Cotton got his big fat raise. Will he work in the interests of the citizens of Encinitas? Or does he only cares about feathering his own nest? We will soon know.
come on. Look at viewer statistics from those cities that show live meetings. No one watches. If you are interested enough to watch that on your TV you are probably at the meeting.
ReplyDeleteWhy waste taxpayer money on that?
I hear Dalager is looking for a new job.
ReplyDeleteI hear the same thing. Seems Myron Dalager has had enough of doing all the work and splitting the profits. Too bad for Dan that the Gomer Pyle show is out of production, he would be a shoe in for a part.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Ecke is hiring.
There is no reason to make personal attacks on others here. Sure, you're anonymous, but exercise some respect.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, I'm not a Dalager or Ecke or even remotely related, just concerned that we maintain our opinions but also our integrity.
Maybe Leftcoast is hiring.
ReplyDeleteIf Dalager is looking for a new job then I hope it is not one where it requires politeness. He is the biggest smart ass to people and makes it a point to make you feel uncomfortable. His off the wall thoughtless immature comments to people gets real old. If you ask him to stop doing he will tell you no way. Maybe he should put a grease rag in his mouth.
ReplyDeleteIt is not a personal attack to state that the Dalager business is closing due to family disagreements. It is simply the reality. Each blog reader can draw his own conclusions about what this says about personal character, management skills, and business acumen. I've known Dan for many years. This isn't going to change my opinion of him. I didn't vote for him either time and won't vote for him next time if he is on the ballot.
ReplyDeleteIn the eyes of voting-integrity activists, San Diego County hit the trifecta this spring...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sdcitybeat.com/article.php?id=5798
I hate Stocks, Bond, and Dalager WAY more than the rest of you amatuer losers do!
ReplyDelete