Mayor No Transparency

by:  Diane Benjamin

There once was a mayor named Tari

Who campaigned on promoting transparency

Evidently a myth

Too difficult to deal with

Free speech must no longer exist!

Excerpts from emails sent from Tari to me:

From June 2013
Thank you Diane for your diligence!
Your parody was actually MUCH closer to reality that the coverage of ANY of the local media outlets – not the Pantagraph, not WMBD, not WJBC, not WGTL, NOBODY got it closer than you!!
🙂
Tari
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From April 2013
Thanks so much for filing the complain against the City on transparency!!
Way to go – we all owe you a debt of gratitude.
Best,
Tari
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From July 2013
Anyway, thanks for all you’re doing.
FYI, we are working to get a transparency ordinance and website overhaul.  Judy Stearns, Kevin Lower and Scott Black have been helping. In fact, we’re meeting this afternoon about these issues.
Best,
Tari
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But times change, and so did Tari:

From: Tari Renner [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, November 18, 2013 10:23 PM
Subject: Re: scott ogelby

It’s hard to believe Diane would post something such as this!

It’s absolutely clear from this irresponsible rant that she clearly doesn’t understand the law regarding executive sessions and maybe can’t be trusted when someone ‘levels with her.’

This does not do Scott Oglesby or anyone any good – except maybe Diane to get attention or whatever her motivation is here.

I’m really not sure what planet Diane is on.

I was mistaken to trust her judgment and take her seriously.

I won’t make that mistake again in the future.

__________________________________________________

I wonder if Tari would talk that way about a man?  A little tinge of sexism there Tari!

This email was in response to this post:  http://blnnews.com/2013/11/18/is-mayor-renner-lying-about-scott-oglesby/

Government should not be allowed to treat employees, former employees, and citizens like serfs!  The Scott Oglesby case started under former Mayor Steve Stockton.  It was a travesty of justice then and nothing has changed since.

Tari, post the arbitrator’s report on the website and let the public see what they ruled.  That’s transparency!

I hear the case is going to court in December, I hope Scott wins and the City has to pay all back pay and related expenses.

You could have taken a vote to end the case – in executive session – and then taken a vote to release the minutes.  You could have called for a public vote.   There is nothing in the executive session regulations that say personnel issues must be discussed in executive session.  The public had a right to know which alderman could read a report all but clearing Scott and still vote to not give him his job back.  Another lost opportunity for transparency.

Tari, if you want to vilify me for exposing an extreme wrong – go for it.

Where is the transparency ordinance?

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One thought on “Mayor No Transparency

  1. Yes, I also believe that Scott Oglesby should be reinstated to his job as a police officer but in Mayor Renner’s defense every time that I have called Tari on my cell phone he has returned my call and every time I have emailed him with a concerned he has quickly replied back. Personally, I do not find him to be evasive at all but he makes time to explain the city’s position on things. In fact in the past I have even had a personal luncheon with him. Though we may not agree on some things I do consider Tari a friend.

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