Korte, ignoring the Constitution

On March 27, the school board met for a District and Community Relations Committee meeting. On their agenda, consideration of a petition submitted by the Citizens Advisory Council on Communications. I secured a copy of the audio recording of the meeting and had a transcript prepared, link. The transcript is quite lengthy as some board members chose to speak at length on a number of issues; some completely unrelated to the petition. It speaks to the need for trained facilitators to run meetings instead of board members.

Kathy Korte showed her true colors that night; her complete disregard for the Constitutional rights of petitioners in order to pursue a personal vendetta against one of their associates.

The First Amendment to the constitution reads in significant part;

"Congress shall make no law ... abridging ... the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government ... "

"Freedom of assembly, sometimes used interchangeably with the freedom of association, is the individual right to come together and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests. The right to freedom of association is recognized as a human right, a political freedom and a civil liberty", wikilink.

Korte has a different idea. In a moment of remarkable candor, Korte admitted her intention to hold petitioners and their petition hostage to her personal vendetta against me.

She said, I'm sorry to say, I know that one of your leaders is Ched MacQuigg. I read his blog every now and then. It is the most negative thing I have ever read. So I don't read it, actually. To be honest with you, I don't read it. So I'm suspect of your intentions because I know Ched MacQuigg plays a big Role in this, and he's the most negative person I've ever met in my life.

Assume for the sake of argument; I am the most negative person Korte has ever met in her life; so what? Where in the Constitution, or in any amendment does it read; none of this applies to people, who in the eyes of petty politicians and public servants, are negative?

This is about the message; two-way communication, not about the messenger. Korte can't stay on message; she has no choice but to go after the messenger.

A question has been asked; are you going to support an effort to create two-way communication between the leadership of the APS and the community members they serve?

Korte doesn't want to answer the question, because her answer is no.

Even the oft arrogant Korte is not going to stand up and admit she actually opposes two-way communication with interest holders.

Korte et al, will argue there was two-way communication that night, between petitioners and their government. Petitioners might argue, there was not.

Interest holders could decide for themselves, except that the audio tape of the meeting is not available on APS' award winning website, and most people will not go through the bother of driving over there to pick up a CD.

Korte manifests contempt for interest holders and their rights to participate meaningfully in the spending of power and resources that belong fundamentally to them. She might be the most contemptuous politician I have ever met. So what?

Korte is a bully, a bully hiding behind a publicly funded private police force who aid and abet her denial of due process to petitioners and their right to freely assemble to petition their government.

Also aiding and abetting, as is usual, in the denial of due process to legitimate petitioners; Kent Walz and the Journal, and the affiliates of School Board President Paula Maes New Mexico Broadcasters Association, none of whom will investigate and report upon the Citizens Advisory Council on Communication, their efforts to establish two-way communication, and the board and administration's efforts to prevent it.




photos Mark Bralley