1,088,037 all-time page views @ 5:05 pm
908 thus far today at 5:05 pm
908 thus far today at 5:05 pm
Division of Open Government
Attorney General Maura Healey
8 Ashburton Place
Boston MA
Dear Open Meeting Law investigators:
After an extension was granted to Neil Osborne of the Office of Diversity and Compliance he responded today, 10/26/17
1)Mr. Osborne failed to mention in his response what is noted in my complaint: I had requested the ability to tape an hour in advance. Mr. Osborne was supposed to ask the commission in advance. He failed to do so. Now he is trying to blame the videographer when Mr.Osborne, an attorney and ostensibly the head of the Mystic Vallen NAACP, is not being honest here.
2)If a person has asked in advance, he or she should be able to tape at any time. Many meetings in Medford have no documentation outside of alleged "meeting minutes." The Cemetery Commission, the Green Committee, Mayor Burke's get togethers in Alden Chambers or at La Cascia's Bakery - including chief of staff Jenn Dever Wood telling me quite quickly she didn't mind me taping (as have Alicia Hunt and Robert A. Maiocco at the Green Committee and Cemetery Commission respectively.)
Mr. Osborne was asked well in advance. He failed to ask his commission. I showed up at an appropriate time for me given my busy schedule.
3)Mr. Osborne also is not being honest in the letter when the complaint shows that the Chair, Rachel Tannenhaus objected strenuously to Facebook live for "public safety reasons" which is balderdash (Tannenhaus, who also served on a quasi-board with me in Somerville at a radio station - and had no problem with Facebook live on my phone as an Advisor in our new Advisory capacity at Boston Free Radio, she had no problem with a private 501c3 taping, but was outraged at Facebook live of an Open Meeting in Medford, the city of the Medford Media BLACKOUT, which is what I have dubbed it.) So Mr. Osborne, an attorney, is not being upfront here about what truly went down at their seemingly private little get together that they call an open meeting. They offered me to tape it on camera, not on Facebook Live, which means the citizens would not have been able to participate until after the event. That was the problem.
Only when they offered me to tape on camera, not live on the internet, did I go to the solicitor's office with Kim Scanlon not available and Mark Rumley missing in action.
Maybe he was in his office, or perhaps Mr. Rumley had his own alleged busienss at Somerville Court allegedly as a bill collector - as rumor has it he has done in the past - and couldn't care to address these activities no matter how much money he takes from the citizens of Medford. And that isn't a joke, it is put here on the record for the
AG's office to see the incredibly boorish behavior of these city officials who act like they are little governors who can besmirch residents working hard to make a difference and better our community.
See Demarest vs. Athol Orange in regards to news gathering and the rights of the public to tape at ANY TIME during a meeting.
_______________________________________________________
Tannenhaus didn't want ANY taping for "public safety" reasons. That is regrettable.
Neil Osborne was asked in advance and failed to discuss my desire to tape ...so he had plenty of notice
Tannenhaus then relented and said I could tape on my phone but not Facebook live.
I went to the solicitor's office, Mr. Rumley was absent to my knowledge, Ms. Scanlon was on the phone
I left city hall since I could get no help from the solicitor's office and do not want to spend my time arguing over an issue that Attorney Osborne failed to bring to the attention of his commission though he was informed of my intention to tape an hour in advance.
That is - typically - how business is done in the city of Medford. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
Sincerely,
Joe Viglione
___________________________________
__________________________________
