July 20, 2021 - Scottsboro, Alabama - Scottsboro City Council Meeting Recordings on You Tube and Facebook-Transparency, Sunshine in Government - Jackson County Commission Meetings Info - Critical Thinking and Media Resourcing, Tools for Transparency

 

Scottsboro City Hall, photo by G. Morgan

The City of Scottsboro, Alabama has began videoing and placing on Social Media, You Tube and Facebook, their City Council Meetings. You Tube City of Scottsboro Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnca4uius_sv4T_kvoDbErQ/videos

Facebook Link, which also contains their meeting Agenda: https://www.facebook.com/cityofscottsboro

Many Thanks to the Jackson County Commission for Their Commitment to Transparency in Government

The Jackson County Commission had began live Facebook video of their meetings earlier in the year. The video record and live showing of the Jackson County Commission meetings may be seen on Facebook at, link: https://www.facebook.com/JCCommissionAL 

Agendas and information - Agenda link: https://www.jacksoncountyal.gov/agendacenter

Information link: https://www.jacksoncountyal.gov/

 BRAVO TO THE CITY OF SCOTTSBORO

GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY 

 LET THE SUNSHINE IN

Quote by the Honorable Louis D. Brandeis, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America, 1916-1939. 

"Sunlight" and quote image - Fair Use for non-profit news and discussion, courtesy of the 

Sunlight Foundation: https://sunlightfoundation.com/about/

Justice Brandeis did not have the benefits of technology as we do today, the technology of the internet, the information dissemination of social media in our world, nations states and communities of the 21st Century. "Judge Brandeis and the History of Transparency:"   https://sunlightfoundation.com/2009/05/26/brandeis-and-the-history-of-transparency/

We hear many complaints regarding the dissemination of disinformation, "fake news," on the internet's social media platforms and formal media. Disinformation and misinformation is a problem, utilize critical thinking, media referencing and resource skills to sort out disinformation and misinformation, the internet is your friendly tool to accomplish the task. 

Beware of those who would attempt to diminish the importance of information technology and the benefits of social media in the dissemination of information to you the individual in our communities. Beware of the government endorsed censor who would endeavor to remove the expression of thought and words, even that of disinformation and misinformation. --- The Tools for discovering Truth in all media formats = critical thinking, media resourcing and research: https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/digital_media_literacy_draft_v5.pdf , verbal and written expression are our personal tools; our system of Justice, our Constitution and Laws, protect our Rights of Speech and insure responsible actions, these are our individual and societal tools.

In the words of James Madison, 1822: "A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives." 

July 12, 2021 - Scottsboro, Alabama - Discontinuing Recording of City Council Meetings for 60 Day Period Due to Health Reasons

 

I'm temporarily discontinuing the recording of Scottsboro City Council Meetings for a 60 day period due to health reasons.

June 28, 2021 - Scottsboro, Alabama - Scottsboro City Council Regular Session - American Rescue Plan Funds

 

Scottsboro City Hall, photo by G.Morgan

Mayor McCamy authorized to apply for $2.8 million in American Rescue Plan Funds by City Council.

AGENDA

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VIDEO

June 28, 2021 - Scottsboro, Alabama - Jackson County Commission Regular and Work Session, Undisclosed American Rescue Plan Funds Dispersal Concerns, Meeting Was Continued until June 30, 2021 at 3:30 PM

 

Jackson County Courthouse, north side. Photo by G. Morgan

Meeting Was Continued until June 30, 2021 at 3:30 PM for an Executive Session

AGENDA

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Meeting Was Continued until June 30, 2021 at 3:30 PM 

Concerns about undisclosed funds of the AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN for Jackson County

2 Problems - Regular Session 1) Your Regular Session was minimally intelligible, only with enhanced sound could it be understood. Miraculously, it was discovered during the work session beginning, the sound was off on the commissioners microphones. 

Work Session: 2) MONEY - MONEY -MONEY - MONEEE! Everybody is wanting to help themselves to the reported $10 million dollars of the American Rescue Plan Funds, specifically for Jackson County (Didn't know about that, huh?); Scottsboro gets $2.8 million. The Mayor of Scottsboro was given the authority to approve the funding of the $2.8 million available to the City of Scottsboro. It appears the commission is not being upfront about this reported $10 million dollars funding available to Jackson County, according to reports from other government officials. Trails, coffee shops, running clubs, bars; Venable has already discussed his plans in Hytop, and again today. How about the ROADS destroyed by storms, the trafficking of drugs by the Mexican Cartels, (I'm sure the GOP political regime would like to deny this fact identified by the DEA.), then there are the poor people??? 

What was it that Doctor "212 Mile Singing River Trail" Cavinish said? Besides the $50K grant on behalf of Jackson Co, "excitement" planning, not approved by the Commission. Paraphrased - "For some of y'all, I'm preaching to the choir," lets throw some spirituality into his propaganda. Of coarse, when your priorities are corporate and the influential wealthy for a go to the "Arsenal" utilizing the Greenway, a massive "Greenway Project," Economic Development, miracles will happen according toDoctor "212 Mile Singing River Trail" Cavinish. 

 Next - lets bring in Abraham Lincoln, "better angels of our nature," this quote refers to the conflict of the Civil War and division of our nation; equating this statement by Lincoln into a trail project is a display of propaganda for the purpose of acquisition of money which the commission has not mentioned anything about. 

Question after the quote - Quote, "Having heard the vision y'all have." What exactly was that vision? Besides removing money from county coffers that has not arrived.. This is propaganda from corporate and state entities to take money from the people of Jackson County Alabama beyond approval of Jackson County Commission, with no mention of the specifics of the American Rescue Plan Funds.

Facebook Video Link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=4318641818214394&ref=watch_permalink 

June 21, 2021 - Scottsboro, Alabama - Scottsboro City Council Work Session - Employee Service Awards

 

Scottsboro City Hall, photo by G. Morgan

AGENDA

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VIDEOS

Employee Service Awards

Employee Service Awards - 5 to 25 year awards. photo by G. Morgan

City Council Meeting

June 14, 2021 - Scottsboro, Alabama - Jackson County Commission Meeting - Regular Session and Work Session - Filthy Drinking Water Problems - EMA, County Emergency Communications Problems - Open Meetings Issue and Proprietary Information

 

Jackson County Courthouse, north entrance.  photo by G. Morgan

AGENDA

Link: https://www.jacksoncountyal.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06142021-140

Issues: 1) Concerned Citizens presentation  about Filthy Drinking Water; 2) Problematic emergency communications system; 3) Improvements on county roads system, see 4 below. 

Issue #4 requires a separate space -  Once again, information is presented in the OPEN MEETING that the engineer requests diagrams and photos not be revealed.

If there is proprietary information which should not be presented in the open meeting, why not place the confidential information in a presentation document/booklet/folder for the commissioners. Apparently the Alabama Open Meetings law takes a back seat to the ridiculous notions of the county engineer in violation of law. Worse, the commissioners and the county attorney fails to remind all involved of the open meetings law. You display a project in an open meeting it is apt to be recorded and placed forward in any and all reporting concerning the open meeting.

The county engineer's presentation and grandstanding of nearly an hour is ridiculous. All that is needed is a summary and all other specifics should be placed in a folder or document for each commissioner to review prior to the meeting, just as the proprietary information should have been placed into a folder for review, commissioner questions could be asked after the engineers summary presentation. Unless there is another problem related to laziness?

In another matter, in this meeting we discover Mr. Venable has been having discussions with private individuals regarding grant availability connected to private property purchases near or in Hytop, Al. for recreation purposes related to the Walls of Jericho. Since when is a county commissioner authorized to act as a special interest representative for real estate transactions involving private parties outside of commission approval? This item has not been presented before the commission previously, however Venable and others have begin project planning and conducting inquiries as to property purchases utilizing State/Federal and local dollars.

Association of County Commissions of Alabama, ACCA, guide regarding open meetings process, some need to review. https://www.alabamacounties.org/resources/open-meetings/

Jackson County Commission Video Link on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=950018682519961&ref=watch_permalink