Ask a Simple Question…
By Jim Conley • Jul 26th, 2007 • Email This Post to a Friend •
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A week ago yesterday I asked Peter Ditto, the Town of Brookline’s chief engineer for the new calculations of lost revenue from the Centre Street West parking lot on the days the local farmer’s market sets up there. He told me he gave the information to Town Counsel Jennifer Dopazo as part of my public records request [see previous post].
But when the records came, there were no documents detailing the new calculations. So, I alerted Dopazo’s office to that fact. No response. (No surprise either, Dopazo is to the Selectman what Alberto Gonzales is to the White House - a flunky with no distinguishable skills other than political servitude.)
Folks, I asked a simple question and it defies all reason that the Town is unable to provide a simple answer. Alas, this is the state of affairs in Brookline. I had hoped things would improve after former Selectman’s Chair Robert Allen was demoted to a voting member, but contempt for the public has actually become worse.
It beats me why we use taxpayer dollars to pay Jennifer Dopazo, Richard Kelliher and Peter Ditto each in excess of $100 thousand to thumb their noses at the public. And it beats me even more to think that we’ve elected a Board of Selectmen who look askance when the public is stiffed.
Hopefully, we can begin a wholesale change during next May’s election.
Jim Conley is publisher of On Brookline.
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Why didn’t Peter Ditto just respond directly to you? Is Town Counsel’s office a filter for public records? Is this provided for in the public records laws? Perhaps a new filter is called for. Justice delayed is justice denied. The failure to promptly respond to public records requests denies openness in governance. Simple justice and openness would have permitted Ditto to respond directly to you. Is there information that the Town does not wish you to have? Or is it personal? If the latter, then clearly the public records laws do not provide an exception for the personal. Is this a loyalty issue for Town Counsel’s office?