The Daily Blat "Our Opinion" column was all over Transparency (in Government), at the State level. Once again, Vienna's problems do not start and stop at the Vienna border where to the South, one might ask when will P'burg start shutting the gates on their wall there to keep us from coming South over their border. Our version of Government does not set a very good example of openness, but than who's does?
Things are getting very, very gray with our Council's openness. The two stalwarts who came on board to fix our problems have begun to understand they can not do it with 4-3 or 5-2 vote coming at them most times. Mr. Rapp and his crew are not going to take their feet off your (Vienna Residents/ Taxpayers), necks anytime soon? As I noted before, the dog and pony show that went on at the meeting of the 24th was what passed for the Schwendeman presentation before the "main" meeting and the Council Comment section afterwards.
It is becoming a bit sad to watch Mr. Elam come time after time and not be prepared to ask the right questions even if at the wrong time. A good example was when he asked a question on Insurance and why it was not on the Agenda. Mr. Rapp avoided the answer, which honestly stated would have been "I did not want it on there and so advised Ms. Smith" or words to that effect.
Than Mr. Rapp told you that you should have asked when Mr. Schwendeman was answering questions after his presentation? Your reply "it was a Vienna question not a Schwendeman question" while technically right was procedurally wrong in that Council Chamber. Son, you got rolled again. Allow me if I may? Anytime a subject is being discussed, ask YOUR question. You will either get an answer or be told it will be covered at a later time, maybe Comments? It is important that you or Mr. Conley get the question out into the open and possibly into the Meeting Minutes if only as an out of order issue. I fully understand it is a City practice to use the vague Meeting Minutes part of the Open Meetings Law for Ms. Smith to leave out huge amounts of dialogue that goes on. This is not an accident and has been practiced for years.
I need give you an apology at this point Mr. Elam. At the Meeting of the 10th, I gave Mr. Conley and a couple of others copies of the FOIA that were provided to me on the Insurance Committee that the City tried to say had been in existence since 2013- that of course was a lie. Some of us remember a couple of months back when you again offered to be on a Committee for the City Insurance. Mr. Rapp's said we already have one, the Budget Committee which consists of Mr. Rapp, Ms. Smith and Mr. Leach. Hardly the most credible people to be representing the City on such a matter? Had I done so, you would have been far better prepared to contest the obvious misinformation that was/ had been put out.
More than once, I have provided information to you and Mr. Conley on the City Insurance on this site. I know you have no obligation to read this site, but since I am the only one that seems to try and, what is that term I am attacked with? Oh yes, I "have an obsession to expose the Truth", that's it. May I suggest without the Truth in whatever degree, one can not do the job you and Mr. Conley signed on for. You both know you are being lied too, misinformed and stonewalled at every possible turn.
There is one tool short of a Lawsuit that can be used against the most if not all of the others on the Council. That is the infamous Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). It is not foolproof and I have referenced the Case down in the Circuit Court- 17-C-337, that has so much information in it. To look at those Documents from the City and to read the Transcripts, the never ending lies that are being put out from the City would inflame anyone really trying to cut back on the expenses and waste going on. But you seem disinterested in anything but asking the same or trying to ask the same questions of Mr. Rapp over and over. The FOIAs will surprise you in how they contradict the lying going on and the scam on the Health Insurance. 'nuff said'.