1st Amendment .... GOP doesn't care.

phobicsquirrel

This morning the GOP had a Journalist arrested for filming their hearing about natural gas inititives. The Journalist in question made the film "Gasland" and was doing a follow up on that documentary. Seems as though the GOP didn't want anything getting out. Sort of strange since the hearing is open to the public. Guess another notch in the belt for how the GOP treats the rights of the citizens.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/02/01/1060681/-House-Republicans-arrest-journalist-at-fracking-hearing?via=siderecent

Direwolf

Both political parties are as crooked as the day is long. Our government is a failure.

JSaint

Direwolf:

Both political parties are as crooked as the day is long. Our government is a failure.

I will agree with that.

jgibv

phobicsquirrel:

This morning the GOP had a Journalist arrested for filming their hearing about natural gas inititives. The Journalist in question made the film "Gasland" and was doing a follow up on that documentary. Seems as though the GOP didn't want anything getting out. Sort of strange since the hearing is open to the public. Guess another notch in the belt for how the GOP treats the rights of the citizens.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/02/01/1060681/-House-Republicans-arrest-journalist-at-fracking-hearing?via=siderecent

Did you see the one a couple months back where someone from Boehner's office cut off the feed to C-SPAN when the Dems were trying to bring a vote on the payroll tax cut. Article with Video---CLICK

I am just appalled that some of our elected officials are acting like this and denying the public access to "public hearings."

jgibv

JSaint:

Direwolf:

Both political parties are as crooked as the day is long. Our government is a failure.

I will agree with that.

I agree as well. It just seems like the GOP has been getting more negative press recently....especially with their primaries going on. There's so much negative news/ads out there, it's almost sickening to watch these high-up members of our gov't act like a bunch of children fighting and bickering at each other.

oldsoulrevival

ALMOST sickening?? Living in DC, and working in the media world (I work for a Think Tank), I am surrounded by this stuff all the time... I am generally in a state of constant pissed-off-ness. haha

jgibv

oldsoulrevival:

ALMOST sickening?? Living in DC, and working in the media world (I work for a Think Tank), I am surrounded by this stuff all the time... I am generally in a state of constant pissed-off-ness. haha

Touché ...... and I said "almost sickening" because I have yet to actually up-chuck from all of the madness that goes on.
I refuse to watch any of 24-news channels, or the local news, simply because they put me in a pissed-off state as well. I get most of my news from the web and try to keep that at a minimum. I want to stay informed, but there's so much g**-d*mn bickering and finger-pointing going on, I feel like most of the "news" isn't actually news.
Sometimes I feel like it's all some strange reality show, like there's someone behind the scenes who is just f***ing with us and Ashton kuctcher is going to pop up and say we all just got punk'd......

Amos Umwhat

jgibv:

JSaint:

Direwolf:

Both political parties are as crooked as the day is long. Our government is a failure.

I will agree with that.

I agree as well. It just seems like the GOP has been getting more negative press recently....especially with their primaries going on. There's so much negative news/ads out there, it's almost sickening to watch these high-up members of our gov't act like a bunch of children fighting and bickering at each other.

I'm with you fellers!

Theedge

I don't know - should the press and recorders be allowed in every meeting? Or should boards be able to determine their meeting rules?

JDH

Direwolf:

Both political parties are as crooked as the day is long. Our government is a failure.

No it is not a failure. The American Republic, and it's Democratic Institutions are not a failure. The failure rests with those who disregard our Democracy in favor of uncompromising ideology.

Party ideology should never trump national interests, but these days it does, and THAT is where the failure lies.

JDH

Theedge:

I don't know - should the press and recorders be allowed in every meeting? Or should boards be able to determine their meeting rules?

The Congress is not a private corporation, yet. Their business is protecting the national interests, and transparency is of paramount importance, especially if it concerns the safety of our water. Nothing lives without water. Nothing. There is evidence that fracking can destroy drinking water. It is my opinion that when somebody in public office tries to prevent the public from knowing what they are doing, there is a reason for it, and it's usually because it will be something they don't want the public to know about.

Krieger

JDH:

Theedge:

I don't know - should the press and recorders be allowed in every meeting? Or should boards be able to determine their meeting rules?

The Congress is not a private corporation, yet. Their business is protecting the national interests, and transparency is of paramount importance, especially if it concerns the safety of our water. Nothing lives without water. Nothing. There is evidence that fracking can destroy drinking water. It is my opinion that when somebody in public office tries to prevent the public from knowing what they are doing, there is a reason for it, and it's usually because it will be something they don't want the public to know about.

x2

jgibv

JDH:

Theedge:

I don't know - should the press and recorders be allowed in every meeting? Or should boards be able to determine their meeting rules?

The Congress is not a private corporation, yet. Their business is protecting the national interests, and transparency is of paramount importance, especially if it concerns the safety of our water. Nothing lives without water. Nothing. There is evidence that fracking can destroy drinking water. It is my opinion that when somebody in public office tries to prevent the public from knowing what they are doing, there is a reason for it, and it's usually because it will be something they don't want the public to know about.

Well said...and we, as a country have already been down this road before.... Having waterways and ground ground water (and soil) polluted by chemicals back in the 1940s-50s led to the environmental disaster at Love Canal, NY and forced a complete evacuation of the town. It was later discovered that many of the health problems developed from contaminated groundwater seeping into the home. (If I remember correctly) Love Canal was the catalyst that caused Congress to establish Superfund and put tighter regulations on companies releasing toxic chemicals.
Why these franking companies are allowed to operate rather free of regulations and they can pump "proprietary chemicals" into the ground without EPA evaluation is beyond me. Scientists have already concluded that fracking is to blame for some minor earthquakes throughout the country.
Also if you want a good read about fracking benefits and problems, check out "The End of Country" by Seamus McGraw.

I'm done ranting now, sorry.

deejmemixx

JDH:

Theedge:

I don't know - should the press and recorders be allowed in every meeting? Or should boards be able to determine their meeting rules?

The Congress is not a private corporation, yet. Their business is protecting the national interests, and transparency is of paramount importance, especially if it concerns the safety of our water. Nothing lives without water. Nothing. There is evidence that fracking can destroy drinking water. It is my opinion that when somebody in public office tries to prevent the public from knowing what they are doing, there is a reason for it, and it's usually because it will be something they don't want the public to know about.

just curious... did you complain when obama said everything with the health care would be on c span live and transparent......and then he didn't allow it..?

I feel everything should be transparent...but that will never happen.

JDH

deejmemixx:

JDH:

Theedge:

I don't know - should the press and recorders be allowed in every meeting? Or should boards be able to determine their meeting rules?

The Congress is not a private corporation, yet. Their business is protecting the national interests, and transparency is of paramount importance, especially if it concerns the safety of our water. Nothing lives without water. Nothing. There is evidence that fracking can destroy drinking water. It is my opinion that when somebody in public office tries to prevent the public from knowing what they are doing, there is a reason for it, and it's usually because it will be something they don't want the public to know about.

just curious... did you complain when obama said everything with the health care would be on c span live and transparent......and then he didn't allow it..?

I feel everything should be transparent...but that will never happen.

I want as much transparentcy as I can get, whenever I can get it, regardless of which party is driving the bus, and yes I did complain about that. I thought it should have been on c-span, and I was dissapointed when it was not.

phobicsquirrel

deejmemixx:

JDH:

Theedge:

I don't know - should the press and recorders be allowed in every meeting? Or should boards be able to determine their meeting rules?

The Congress is not a private corporation, yet. Their business is protecting the national interests, and transparency is of paramount importance, especially if it concerns the safety of our water. Nothing lives without water. Nothing. There is evidence that fracking can destroy drinking water. It is my opinion that when somebody in public office tries to prevent the public from knowing what they are doing, there is a reason for it, and it's usually because it will be something they don't want the public to know about.

just curious... did you complain when obama said everything with the health care would be on c span live and transparent......and then he didn't allow it..?

I feel everything should be transparent...but that will never happen.

Yeah that was BS, though not everything was on cspan a lot of it was. But yeah there was a lot of closed doors stuff, but a lot of that came from the committees too.

JDH, good points

kuzi16

there are such things as closed meeting. they happen all the time. if this meeting was closed then the man was arrested not for knowing or reporting what he knows, but for being somewhere when he shouldnt be there. the Dems have closed meetings as well.
edit... i didnt read far enough. my bad. had to edit things out.