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A&A:Public comments on water rates closed, item still on agenda

FAC November 24, 2009

Q: The current City Council Agenda contains the following item: “DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS. Introduce and Waive the First Reading of One of the Three Ordinances Relating to Establishing Rates for Water Service Fees.” Here is the problem. We are not being allowed to comment about this item at all, even though it has been on multiple Agenda’s and postponed multiple times. The City Attorney says we can’t comment on it because the Prop

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A&A:City wants me to pay to see report on fire at my house

FAC November 24, 2009

Q: I just requested an incident report from the Fire Department relating to a fire at my property. They wanted to charge me $16 just to view the record, and said that they had been authorized to do so by the City Council.  Is this legal?  GovC 6253(b) authorizes charges “… of fees covering direct costs of duplication, or a statutory fee if applicable.”  Does a city council resolution and ordinance authorizing the $16 fee

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Court rules CIA did not violate Valerie Plame’s rights

FAC November 23, 2009

The CIA did not violate Valerie Plame’s 1st Amendment rights the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York City (2nd Cir.) has ruled. Including dates of service in her memoir including them in her memoir would still violate the secrecy agreement she signed when she joined the CIA. Reporter’s Committee for Freedom of the Press New York · November 18, 2009 CIA legally censored ex-operative’s memoir, appeals court rules Kirk Davis The CIA did not

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A Patent on Podcasting? EFF thinks not

FAC November 23, 2009

The Patent Office just granted  Volomedia exclusive rights to  “a method for providing episodic media,” creating a very real threat to the future of free podcasting.  You can help  EEF’s Patent-Busting Project crack the case. EFF’s DeepLinks Blog EFF Tackles Bogus Podcasting Patent – And We Need Your Help News Update by Rebecca Jeschke Patenting podcasting? You’ve got to be kidding. Yet a company called Volomedia just got the Patent Office to grant them such

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Whitehouse State Secrets privilege challenged by House bill

FAC November 23, 2009

Calling the Bush administration’s expansion of executive privilege “the greatest threat to liberty,”  Rep. Jerrold Nadler’s  (R-NY) update of the  State Secrets Act aims to prevent its use as a “magical incantation,” to stop discovery from taking place. The Atlantic’s Politics Channel Nov 18 2009, by Marc Ambinder Will The House Play Hardball With State Secrets? Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee are preparing for a confrontation with the White House over the state secrets

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