I'm sure the Times staff appreciates your support, Ed. I may be rusty on my recollection fo the Iowa Open Meetings Law, but if I remember right, committees appointed by the mayor are not subject to provisions of the open meetings law, only groups appointed by city council.
However, if there's a written recommendation and it hits the desk at a public council meeting, that document becomes public. And the Times could file an open records request for any pertinent documents or emails. My guess is any written recommendation will end up in the public court record of the civil suit unless it is sealed or the action is settled out of court or dismissed.
The incident raises a larger question though, regarding the bystanders. Don't people have an obligation to object to such remarks even if they don't happen to be of the group slurred? Doesn't silence imply consent if you don't say something, even if you come off as a know-it-all or face retaliation? Something to examine or collective conscience about.
As a person who has spent his working life in QC land development, I can say that the rate of growth in population between the Iowa And Illinois QC has more to do with availability of developable land than any other factor. Perceived differences in school districts are a symptom, not a cause. Younger and middle aged people of means look for residences with the best likelihood of appreciating in value: this means homes of recent construction, in districts with a reputation for quality. Since the 1950s this has favored the Iowa side. Urban sprawl is making the sustainability of this trend suspect.
I'm a chemist and read in a chemistry news magazine that Terry Branstad was so mad about Illinois building a fertilizer plant that he spent huge sums of money luring one to Weaver, Iowa. The magazine article concluded that there was not much demand for another fertilizer plant and he was simply doing it out of competitiveness.
I'm sure the Times staff appreciates your support, Ed. I may be rusty on my recollection fo the Iowa Open Meetings Law, but if I remember right, committees appointed by the mayor are not subject to provisions of the open meetings law, only groups appointed by city council.
However, if there's a written recommendation and it hits the desk at a public council meeting, that document becomes public. And the Times could file an open records request for any pertinent documents or emails. My guess is any written recommendation will end up in the public court record of the civil suit unless it is sealed or the action is settled out of court or dismissed.
The incident raises a larger question though, regarding the bystanders. Don't people have an obligation to object to such remarks even if they don't happen to be of the group slurred? Doesn't silence imply consent if you don't say something, even if you come off as a know-it-all or face retaliation? Something to examine or collective conscience about.
Thank you for your calling out of the secrecy among the mayor and council! Their actions since the building collapse continue to astound.
As a person who has spent his working life in QC land development, I can say that the rate of growth in population between the Iowa And Illinois QC has more to do with availability of developable land than any other factor. Perceived differences in school districts are a symptom, not a cause. Younger and middle aged people of means look for residences with the best likelihood of appreciating in value: this means homes of recent construction, in districts with a reputation for quality. Since the 1950s this has favored the Iowa side. Urban sprawl is making the sustainability of this trend suspect.
I'm a chemist and read in a chemistry news magazine that Terry Branstad was so mad about Illinois building a fertilizer plant that he spent huge sums of money luring one to Weaver, Iowa. The magazine article concluded that there was not much demand for another fertilizer plant and he was simply doing it out of competitiveness.