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YourHub.com \\ Burbank \\ Stories \\ Sound Off \\ Letter to the Editor

Burbank Council: 1 step forward, 2 steps back

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Contributed by: Eric Michael-Cap on 9/22/2006

Last Tuesday night Burbank City Councilman David Gordon suggested an agenda item come back for discussion regarding citywide WiFi access, which met with strong support from Mayor Todd Campbell and Councilman Jef Vander Borght.

This is a great idea. The downtown hotspot has been a tremendous success and to be able to expand these WiFi hotspots citywide to encompass the Empire Center and Magnolia Park would be a win-win for both residents and businesses.

This comes on the footsteps of a presentation last month from our public information office that revealed plans to make available downloadable archived Web video from council meetings by agenda item, so that the many busy Burbank residents, parents and media professionals who don't have time to watch four to five hour meetings can review items of interest in their spare time.

This is already being done in other cities like Glendale and befitting for a city that calls itself "the media capital of the world."

However, it appears we're about to take a huge step backwards into the dark ages, with a proposed video ban during oral communications on this Tuesday night's agenda (9/27/06).

This whole idea was the brainchild of Marsha Ramos with support from David Golonski and our vulnerable mayor. It started out as a proposed ban on video campaigning, in a knee-jerk reaction to Gordon's election win over Bill Wiggins (video killed the status-quo star).

The item has now been extended to prohibit all "roll-the-tapes". Why? The reasons given in Dennis Barlow's staff report are very weak, almost laughable ..."serious legal issues involving, among other things, slander, invasion of privacy, and copyright infringement."

Are you kidding me? I don't remember Mr. Barlow objecting to Golonski's infamous "roll-the-tape" in which he launched a (pre-emptive) personal attack on Dink O'Neal, a well known and outspoken member of this community, for purely political reasons.

It just seems to me that some of our council members don't like seeing themselves on video for some reason. Perhaps some don't like being reminded or held accountable for their past actions. What about the people who have used video to demonstrate problem areas such as Tujunga Avenue or the Olive and Alameda intersection at NBC? It seems the "media capital of the world" is becoming more like Cuba or the Peoples Republic of China with respect to information and damage control.

Thank God for Web sites like BetterBurbank.com ( http://www.betterburbank.com ) BetterBurbank.com official web site that are trying to hold our City Council and staff accountable.

Let's hope there's a change of heart in City Hall.

UPDATED 11/1/2006

Burbank City Council did have a change of heart and opted to continue to allow the public to use video and other multimedia (audio, slides etc.) during oral communication periods. See below link for the full story:

http://www.BetterBurbank.com/CouncilMeetingReviews.html (scroll down to 9/26 meeting)

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Showing 1-6 of 6 comments

Submitted By: Dink O'Neal

posted on 9/29/2006 @ 12:00:54 AM

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Of course Alfred can't point out the rules because it doesn't exist except in his mind and those of others who are willing to put their heads on the chopping block so that the "movers and shakers" on the council will continue appointing them to panels like the Charter Review Committee where they can, with thinly veiled actions, propose further erosions of our rights like converting the City Treasure and City Clerk to appointed postions or taking away our right to vote for council replacements in case of a resignation like Stacey Murphy's. The Burbank Bootlicker Brigade is alive and well.

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Submitted By: David Piroli

posted on 9/28/2006 @ 10:01:17 PM

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Blaming the wrong people ? There has never infact been a 'RULE' about campaing videos. Since any citizen can put in a card and give a campaign speech it would be absurd to have such a rull but since the rules are in the printed agenda perhaps Alfred could show us where in the printed rules this rule he cites is located ?

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Submitted By: Alfred Aboulsaad

posted on 9/26/2006 @ 4:05:39 PM

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I see Eric is blaming the WRONG people again. Why not blame the people who exploited the rule to show campaign commercials? No, I guess that would make too much sense.

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Submitted By: Carl Landis

posted on 9/26/2006 @ 10:43:42 AM

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There is an excellent column about the video issue on WILLROGERSHOME.COM I get why they want to stop the tapes that are campaign commercials. But there's no way to do it without taking away everybodys right to show any tape. If some fool says VOTE FOR JOE JONES during the comment period will they take away the right for everyone to talk to the council? I'm also glad to see the Daily News write about this.

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Submitted By: Eric Michael-Cap

posted on 9/26/2006 @ 2:31:07 AM

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http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_4396293 Council may ban videotapes from public comment BY EUGENE TONG Staff Writer LA Daily News BURBANK - The City Council on Tuesday will consider banning videotapes from being screened during public-comment sessions, a measure taken by other cities to prevent political posturing and campaigning at public meetings.

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Submitted By: Carolyn Berlin

posted on 9/22/2006 @ 7:29:06 PM

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Citywide WiFi is perfect for Burbank. Everyone can benefit. A video blackout is just the opposite. This is similar to the early 1990s when the council meeting telecast would abruptly end just before last Oral Communications for non-agenda items. We live in a world where videos are used to communicate. Marsha's bad idea takes us back to the dark ages. While I rolled the tape about Dr. Gordon at the council meeting prior to the last election, there is no reason to ban all videos. To silence those who want to remind elected officials of their words and actions is just wrong. There is always the mute button for anyone who doesn't want to hear. Unfortunately Council members Campbell, Ramos, Golonski and Vander Borght apparently want to silence people. Many ask ... why are they doing this? what are they trying to hide? Voters deserve transparency and accountability, and the ability to best present relevant information to their elected officials.

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Showing 1-6 of 6 comments

CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Eric Michael-Cap

Burbank , CA

Eric Michael-Cap has posted 7 stories and 7 comments since joining on 8/23/2006. Eric Michael-Cap's average story rating is 3.09.

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