Legislature should ensure school districts allow taxpayers to sit in on labor negotiations & many other government functions too

Response to Detroit News Editorial "Legislature should ensure school districts allow taxpayers to sit in on labor negotiations" on November 23, 2009.

Intro of Detroit News Editorial:

"This fall, Michigan school districts are negotiating with teacher unions, trying to stave off budget deficits and even bankruptcies. Taxpayers should have a right to know what these talks include so they can make their wishes clear to school board members."

End of Editorial:

"Since the negotiations involve taxpayer money, they should be transparent. State lawmakers should amend the law to make sure taxpayers have an open window on contract talks between school districts and teachers."

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WHAT A GREAT IDEA !

Open teacher/school employee negotiations to the public in a local school district. That kind of transparency is totally worthy and sensible, or so the Detroit News Editorial staff professes.

I'll take the taxpayer's interest and their right to see exactly what is going on one tiny step further.

Let's open the caucus rooms of both political parties in both the state House and the Senate to the taxpaying public-no holds barred. In the spirit of total transparency let the taxpayers have "an open window" on how our legislation and lawmaking are really hatched here in Michigan. Don't forget to include any discussions between a lawmaker and their staff and/or aides, or other specialists in departments such as the Michigan Treasury.

And just for good measure, let's have the right to see and hear all the discussions and contacts between lobbyists and legislators-so that we can determine exactly whose interest is actually being served by the outcomes of these contacts and meetings.

And hey, that isn't going to be good enough; Let's enact legislation so the taxpayers have direct access behind the scenes-a "window" over at the Michigan Supreme Court, wouldn't that be a hoot!

Hell will become Hawaii before these things occur.

This Finley inspired editorial is just another in a long string of ill-will, obfuscations and sandbagging-proposed and promoted by a stoneheaded paper with a business-interest-only dogma spiked with aggressive intentions-to further take down, not only teachers and their professional organizations, but the entire public school system.

On the other hand readers, don't forget that the co-op that operates the combined Free Press/the Detroit News has a wretched record concerning staff and skilled trades negotiations with their in-house unions. Wouldn't we have liked to see what those long, protracted and bitter negotiations were like with C-Span style coverage-open public access to that bargaining table.

Wait a moment, those bargaining sessions are closed to the public because the paper management group is a "private" corporation.

Just because schools are run with contributions from citizens in a district and on their behalf does not mean that every business function of that district has to be exposed, without reserve, privacy and/or full confidence in its duly elected representatives-to operate with integrity in closed "work sessions" just as a township, a city council, or the state legislature conduct their closed meetings.

Imagine having to poll a "teabagger" audience to get a final mutually agreed decision pertaining to a contract.

Absurdity in the extreme.

Original Post.