Esquivel and APS' Public Participation Policy a frontal assault on the OMA

The politicians and public servants who run the Albuquerque Public Schools are being sued in federal court.  An inevitable outcome of that litigation is that they are going to have to write a public participation policy that is consistent with the Constitution.

They have told their lawyers; write us a policy consistent with the Constitution and with the Constitutional flexibility that their unlimited litigation budgets and legal weaselry can create.

Do everything you can to keep limit the free exercise of Constitutionally protected human rights to stand up at a podium in a public meeting and criticize board members and senior administrators by name.

It would be interesting to know how much taxpayers ponied up to have which APS lawyers write it.

There is a brouhaha brewing around the country.

On one side; the people trying to participate meaningfully in decision making that affects their interests.

On the other, politicians and public servants hiding all of the truth that the law will allow them to hide, for as long as they want.

To the extent latter succeed, it spells the end of democratic government.

To the extent the former continue to allow politicians and public servants to self-redact the record of their own public service, they allow and enable them to hide the truth about the public interests and about their public service.

Some where, some time, there will come a time when people stand up to take back control over the spending of their resources and the wielding of their power.

Standing in front of and against them, NM FOG heavy hitter and open government expert, Defendant Marty Esquivel et al.  They are about to further limit your right to criticize them or their public service in public.

Read what he intends.  Read what the people paid the lawyers to write for him; Link.

Esquivel sits on the NM FOG Board of Directors.
I just emailed them and plopped this in their punch bowl;
maybe they should weigh in.

As for everyone else; those who are waiting for the "perfect" time and opportunity to stand up and fight back against governmental arrogance, will find that time never came.

There is here, there is now, there is this.

Fight back.

At least show up and take note.




photo Mark Bralley