This Blog can not believe that our own Rep. Jim Garrity, who has stated many times his advocacy of the public's "Right to know" under RSA 91A, has thrown us under the bus like this.
Rep. Garrity sponsored HB82 which is an ammendment to the "Right to Know" Law, RSA 91A. This ammendment is disclosed in it's entirety below:
RSA 91-A:2-a Communications Outside Meetings.
I. Any communications, in whatever form, outside a meeting among the members of a quorum of the membership of a public body which bear upon matters over which such body has supervision, control, jurisdiction, or advisory power shall be disclosed at the next meeting of the body before any decision may be made, including a decision not to act. If such communications are in writing, copies or printouts shall be made a part of the public record. Communications among less than a quorum of members need not be disclosed.
II. Communications outside a meeting, including, but not limited to, sequential communications among members of a public body, shall not be used to circumvent the spirit of this chapter.
III. The disclosure requirements of paragraphs I and II shall not apply to communications specifically exempted from the definition of a “meeting” under RSA 91-A:2, I.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
SPONSORS: Rep. J. Thomas, Belk 5; Rep. J. Garrity, Rock 6; Rep. Espiefs, Ches 3
COMMITTEE: Judiciary
ANALYSIS: This bill clarifies communications outside a meeting for the purposes of RSA 91-A.
This seems to be more in line with Rep. Garrity's one glaring misdeed last year when he came into a public selectmen's meeting here in Atkinson and PRAISED our board of selectmen for their ETHICAL CONDUCT in running the town????? This after 6 Code of Ethics committee complaints, and 3 court orders, telling them to cease and desist!!!
He and his buddies in the Capital have GUTTED the Right to Know law!!!
A number of town officials have complained and/or mentioned many times, on camera, selectman Sapia's many unposted, unminuted meetings with one other selectman where town business may have been discussed, and noone would be the wiser. Selectman Sapia's truck spent so much time at the PD during his first year in office that he should have had it lettered and lighted. However this practice stopped when the Chief was replaced with Mr. Sullivan, at that point the meetings switched to the town hall two to three times a week first thing in the morning with Mr. Childs.
Now imagine this scenario where this is now legal, as long as the next time they meet in private they disclose to each other that they met in private.
Thank you Rep. Garrity for ushering us into the era of " BACK-ROOM DEALS POLITICS"
Where do you truly think most "business" takes place? Probably The Village Store. Doesn't make it right, but I think you are blaming Rep. Garrity for something that isn't his fault. What do you think Chairman Child's is doing , his maintance job? If he was maybe the library wouldn't be in such sad shape as well as other issues. It's nice that he can earne such a salary and not do much of anything. Who does he need to supervise while he and Mr. Sapia chat at Town Hall? More taxpayer dollars wasted.
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