The Cincinnati Beacon - No Pork for Public or Press

Dear Dean:

After reading your article I admit a concern about such a gathering.
So I wrote to five of the local Ohio House of Representative members from Hamilton County that I hold in high esteem for unusual directness (even if I do not always agree with them totally, I never have felt a letter, e-mail or contact fell short or on deaf ears)and a committment to constituents beyond barriers of partisanship.

Four of the five responded back. I asked permission of Rep. Seitz to provide this.
While I still have questions about the coveneing, and some particular concerns, I will work those out and let you know what was accomplished.

Part of my positive take here is that in your original post quoting the Seitz letter
“extend to all known budget requestors an opportunity to make a brief presentation directly to the delegation, and to afford you with the opportunity to answer questions that our area legislators may have.” In the citizen’s tapestry of my mind, woven across the strong warp threads, I read the words BUDGET REQUESTORS as being both highly compensated and multiple-owned LOBBYISTS and those groups that send their staff to explain needs. They would receive 3-5 minutes (just my take, not the fact I have found, yet) and after their presentation the 11 legislators would get to ask questions, in the presence of 8 Representaives and 3 Senators. What you say there you would be saying to a little less than 10% of both the Ohio House and Senate ---- these folks actively dialogue with each other as a matter of duty --- effectively you have been put on notice for what funding you are asking, whether $100,000 or $10,000,000, and 11 sets of ears could conceivably hear you. In front of many elected officials at one time. That’s a gutsy concept.

And that’s part of what we pay our elected officials to do, ask hard question of whomever wants to use our tax money for projects.

My lack of trust in many politicos stems from the corrosive nature of collusive backroom deals where few citizens or politically active participative party types ever see the real “suspects, culprits and clandestine connections”. As a citizen I want both transparency in government, and as much interactive dialogue between elected officials and constituents/citizens.

This is why I will take the time to write, call or e-mail. It is well spent in being better prepared to make decisions....for all of us.

I hope this response helps further our dialogue among bloggers of all ages and backgrounds, other citizens and elected officials, adding to a media/informational presence where there exist large voids feathered with half-steps of information.

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“Biemel, David” <David.Biemel@ohr.state.oh.us> wrote:
Subject: RE: Good Morning!
Have you heard the one about the Chamber, the Legislators and local Business?
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2006
To: “Jenny Edwards” <zephyrwindrails@yahoo.com>

August 16, 2006

Dear Ms. Edwards:

In response to your email, the Beacon article is incorrect. It correctly quotes my memo, but mistakenly claims that any public money is being distributed at or as a result of the meeting. It is not a “top secret” meeting, as nearly 100 people were invited.

The public meetings to which the press will be invited will occur this fall when the legislature takes up the biennial capital budget. At present, there is no capital budget bill. Nor is the Friday meeting required to be public. Meetings are required to be public only when a majority of the legislature or a majority of a legislative committee meets to discuss public business. The Hamilton County legislative delegation consists of three of the 33 Ohio Senators and eight of the 99 Ohio House members, well under a majority of the body that will ultimately decide who gets what. The meeting was scheduled simply so that the legislators from Hamilton County could all hear from the requestors at the same time what they are asking for.

In the past, the Chamber of Commerce has heard from the requestors and sent us a list with the agreed priorities of the Chamber, the City, and the County. Rather than rely on that list alone, and on individual requestors’ meetings with individual legislators to push their respective causes, we have decided to hear directly from the requestors themselves so they cannot tell Representative A one thing and Representative B something else.

The legislative delegation regularly meets with one another and groups that invite us to discuss such things as farm policy, social service spending, health care issues, county issues, township issues, city issues, etc., etc. None of these meetings are public, either, but they are an essential part of our gathering the information we need to effectively represent our area at the state level.

Sincerely,

Rep. William J. Seitz
30th District

From: Jenny Edwards [mailto:zephyrwindrails@yahoo.com]
Posted At: Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Posted To: District30

Conversation: Good Morning! Have you heard the one about the Chamber, the Legislators and local Business?

Subject: Good Morning! Have you heard the one about the Chamber, the Legislators and local Business?

Dear Representative Seitz:

I am writing you on the matter of the link attached and the body of the text noted to see if, perhaps, you have any clue as to the meeting that will, supposedly, take place this coming Friday. Keenly aware that each elected official has their own way/style of representation, contact, connection and delivered governance, I was wondering how you might address this meeting. Is this a new innovation, or one of common practice that overall constituents might not be aware exists?

http://www.cincinnatibeacon.com/index.php/magaddiction/comments/no_pork_for_public_or_press/

The Cincinnati Beacon
No Pork for Public or Press

Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati

According to my source, this Friday marks a secret event when government dollars will be distributed to various projects�but the public and press have been excluded from the event. From a letter forwarded to The Cincinnati Beacon (originally written by Rep. Bill Seitz) dated August 4th: �This year, the Hamilton County legislative delegation has decided to extend to all known budget requestors an opportunity to make a brief presentation directly to the delegation, and to afford you with the opportunity to answer questions that our area legislators may have.� So some extra pork is sitting around, waiting for some empty pockets�but the process is about to go down behind the scenes.

Another letter by Seitz states the following: �This is not a public meeting and we do not intend to invite the press. It really is a learning experience for us, so that we all hear at the same time from those requesting capital dollars. � Most members of the public may not be interested in sitting through hours of people making project proposals to get government money, but does that mean the public should be denied the opportunity? Why should the press be excluded from reporting on an event when public money is being distributed?

This top-secret money-meeting is scheduled for this Friday, August 18th, at 1:30pm, at the offices of the downtown Chamber of Commerce (in the Carew Tower at 441Vine Street, Suite 300 ).

The secrecy of this meeting becomes even more suspect when taken in the context of another statement by Rep. Seitz. He also wrote, �I do think there is some merit in the suburban elected officials hearing what projects are under consideration, if for no other reason than to explain the need for those projects to their own constituencies. � Really? If there is a value in having community members know about proposed projects using taxpayer money, why not let those community members hear for themselves? Why not invite the press to report on the proposals?
Something�s rotten in the state of Denmark .

With best regards,

Virginia Edwards Jenny
Precinct Executive 24-B/WARD CHAIR
Cincinnati, Hamilton County , Ohio

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