Transparency News 5/27/15
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
State and Local Stories
A Richmond bicycling advocate has protested what he called a “pretty upsetting” phone call he received from a police lawyer after signing up to speak at Monday’s City Council meeting. Michael Gilbert, co-founder of Ride Richmond, told the council Monday that after informing the council’s staff that he wished to speak about the bicycling race the city is hosting in September, he received a phone call Friday from Victoria Pearson, general counsel for the Richmond Police Department. In an email, Pearson acknowledged that she called Gilbert. She said it was at the request of new Police Chief Alfred Durham and part of his “proactive” approach. “His philosophy is that if we can address issues, assist people and find solutions to problems or concerns, he wants to proactively do so, and as soon as possible,” Pearson said. She added that she asked Gilbert if his comments were related to public safety concerns and if there was anything the department could do to assist him.
Times-Dispatch
Spotsylvania County leaders are forming a group to come up with a counteroffer to a baseball team’s proposal for a minor league stadium in the Massaponax area. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 6–1 to create a nine-member committee tasked with, in the words of Chairman Chris Yakabouski, getting the best deal for the county. The committee’s meetings will be open to the public.
Free Lance-Star
As the Norfolk School Board begins its search for a new superintendent, it must weigh openness with residents against candidates' concerns about being outed to their current employers. Virginia law mandates hiring a superintendent within 180 days of a vacancy. Boards can use open or closed searches. Norfolk has used differing approaches: an open search model, in which candidates meet the public during forums, and a closed search with little mention of candidates or progress. Now, during the search to replace former Superintendent Samuel King, the third superintendent to leave the division in five years, board members plan to meet with candidates in secret even as they try to address community concerns. "I completely understand that angst after two superintendents who did not fully serve out their terms," Board Chairman Kirk Houston said. "I get it." Board members and their search advisers say the closed process yields better results. "When you do this, have an open process, it turns into a popularity contest," Peter Sengenberger, assistant executive director of the Virginia School Boards Association, said during a recent board meeting. The Norfolk School Board has agreed to pay the association about $15,000 to conduct a nationwide search for the next superintendent.
Virginian-Pilot
The Chesapeake City Council received a "gentle reminder" from City Attorney Jan Proctor Tuesday. No, texting during public meetings is not illegal. Yes, those messages can be considered public records. "It doesn't matter if it's on your public device or your private device," Proctor said. The policy review was part of a work session at the request of council member Debbie Ritter. She made the request after a developer's representative said he sent a text to Planning Commissioners during a meeting in order to sway a vote. "I understand it's perfectly legal," Ritter said. "The question is, what kind of impression does it give?" Council members were also reminded that all correspondence, written and electronic, that involves city business is public record.
Virginian-Pilot
The state Department of Elections has ruled the Bedford County Republican Committee cannot require people to pledge allegiance to the GOP as a condition of voting in the June 9 primary. The “loyalty oath” or “statement of intent” would have required voters to pledge their votes to all GOP candidates in the November general election before being allowed to vote in the Republican primary open to all District 5, 6 and 7 voters, according to an email Virginia Department of Elections Commissioner Edgardo Cortes sent to Bedford County Registrar Barbara Gunter on Saturday.
News & Advance
Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli has settled a lawsuit on favorable terms with a conservative political action committee he accused of engaging in a national fundraising scam. Federal court papers filed last week show that Cuccinelli and the Arlington-based Conservative StrikeForce PAC reached a settlement that will prohibit the PAC from using a political candidate’s name for future fundraising efforts against the candidate’s wishes. The PAC also agreed to pay Cuccinelli’s gubernatorial campaign $85,000 and give it exclusive rights to the PAC’s direct mail and email donor lists. Cuccinelli sued the PAC last September alleging that Conservative StrikeForce raised $2.2 million in 2013 by largely promising donors the money would help Cuccinelli in his ultimately unsuccessful Virginia campaign against Democrat Terry McAuliffe. The PAC only gave Cuccinelli’s campaign $10,000.
Washington Times
National Stories
Sophisticated criminals used an online service run by the IRS to access personal tax information from more than 100,000 taxpayers, part of an elaborate scheme to steal identities and claim fraudulent tax refunds, the IRS said Tuesday. The thieves accessed a system called "Get Transcript," where taxpayers can get tax returns and other filings from previous years. In order to access the information, the thieves cleared a security screen that required knowledge about the taxpayer, including Social Security number, date of birth, tax filing status and street address, the IRS said. "We're confident that these are not amateurs," said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. "These actually are organized crime syndicates that not only we but everybody in the financial industry are dealing with."
Associated Press
Editorials/Columns
Video of violent police arrests in recent weeks in Spotsylvania County and Fredericksburg have led to the resignations of two officers. Though there’s continued debate about what the officers did in subduing suspects and the actions of the suspects, it’s good for the community to know about the situations. It’s especially important to see how such cases are handled by the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office and the Fredericksburg Police Department. Secrecy can breed distrust of those in authority. Videos have become a key investigative tool for police agencies, but they also protect police from false accusations and serve as evidence when officers are out of line. Cameras are everywhere in our lives today and they record day-to-day history, the good and not so good. About a dozen states and the District of Columbia are considering legislation to withhold body-cam videos from public disclosure. Virginia, so far, is not one them, and state legislators should resist efforts to put them off limits to the public. Exempting the videos from disclosure would thwart the very reasons police say they need them—accountability and transparency. The opposite—mistrust and conspiracy theories—will occur if secrecy prevails.
Free Lance-Star
I wish the School Board would be more forthcoming about the candidates' identities and allow parents, teachers and others a chance to interview finalists. The search itself will take place out of view of the public. That's great for job-seekers, but not so great for people who care about Norfolk's system and students. Board members say confidentiality is needed to get the best pool of applicants. Brad Robinson told me top candidates often are superintendents already, and they would face criticism back home if they weren't selected for the new gig. Without a guarantee of secrecy, they won't even apply. "That's what the experts tell us," Robinson said, "and that was our experience from the past." It seems to me, though, the board should be more open with residents - especially after it winnows the field down to the finalists. Politically, this makes sense: The more that stakeholders feel they've been involved in the process, the more they'll accept the outcome - even if things eventually go south.
Roger Chesley, Virginian-Pilot
