[BWNA] Re: [BWNA-Board] Proposal for BWNA

[Rob Vaughn]

To be brief Jim, the basic problem is that you are confusing:

The right for the public to be made aware, attend and participate in these
meetings, which everything you have quoted says.

- vs. -

The right for said meetings to be recorded in any way.

None of what you've quoted says that audio or video taping is required or even
need be allowed.  They simply state that to be in compliance, minutes need to
be kept, and the BWNA has done that with a pen and ledger pad for many years,
and according to everything you have cited, nothing more than that is needed.

If you can find me a "law" or citation that says video and/or audio taping
is mandatory or specifically cannot be banned, then go for it.  But you won't
find anything to that effect.

You are simply confused about the difference between a public meeting, and
the right of any organization to limit certain activities or in this case,
devices.

There's really nothing more to it than that.  I, like you Jim, am a strong
civil libertarian and life-long ACLU member.  That said, the courts long ago
decided that while the right to free speech exists, it does not include things
such as libel, yelling "fire" in a crowded theater, and no matter how much you
mention the TV media, the right to videotape people w/o their permission.

Local TV gets releases signed by those they interview and blur out the rest.

There's civil liberties, which I truly believe in, but video taping simply
isn't one of them.  Taping yourself in your own home is fine, taping people
who have consented to being taped is fine, but other than that, you've crossed
the line into harrassment and open yourself to being sued, as almost happened
in the case of the PSU students who were trying to help us.

Cheers, Rob

>As I have said before, the BWNA is NOT A PRIVATE CLUB, instead, it is part of
>Portland's government structure and IS REQUIRED to have its meetings
>open. Even executive sessions are required to be open to the media.
>
>Read the requirements in
><http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=3D97870>Standards for
>Neighborhood Associations, District Coalitions, Business Associations and
>Office of Neighborhood Involvement ? Starting at Page 37
>
>This is from the above book:
>VIII. Open Meetings and Public Records
>A. Purpose
>Public participation in the civic affairs of local government is a hallmark=
> of
>democratic societies and of government that responds to the public it
>serves. Neighborhood Associations and District Coalitions are an integral
>part of the structures that support timely, meaningful, vigorous, and
>diverse public participation in the civic affairs of the City of Portland.=
> To
>foster that public participation, Neighborhood Associations and District
>Coalitions, with limited exceptions, as noted in this section, shall:
>1. Conduct their affairs in meetings open to and with adequate notice
>to the public, and,
>......
>ONI Standards =96 Final Page 39 10/24/05
>D. Meetings Open to Public
>1. Except as otherwise provided below, meetings must be open to
>public attendance, with notice provided and minutes taken as
>provided in these Standards.
>2. Neighborhood Associations and District Coalitions may close
>meetings or parts of meetings to public attendance when in
>executive session. An executive session is limited to members of
>the governing body, others reporting to the body on the subject of
>the executive session, and the media. (bold added)
>
>As to compromise, Dennis, I do not compromise on civil rights, I hope you
>feel the same way.
>
>Thanks
>JK

--
robv at sound-o-mat.com