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Police Association Public Meetings a Sham:
Reporter Denis Thierault wrote that the secret sessions were used to discuss controversial issues to "avoid tipping off skeptical cops on one side or police accountability advocates on the other." He quotes Bureau of Human Resources Director Yvonne Deckard saying "[The public] asked to see how the sausage was made on the public side. They didn't ask what some of the other ingredients were." The article states agreements that were not discussed in public ended up in the final contract. Not surprisingly, because the list of items approved by Council in February (PPR #53)--including random drug testing and the PPA accepting the changes to the City's review systems--more resembled a shopping list than a legal document, disagreements remain over what the contract means. In the PPA's June Rap Sheet, Secretary-Treasurer Tom Perkins wrote: "Every time the PPA turns around, we need to battle the CITY over issues with the new contract." Although the "union" thought the contract was easily understood, they hammered out detailed agreements regarding health and fitness, educational money, on-call and comp time issues. The last two issues came to Council on August 24, costing taxpayers $63,000. The question remains: Did it make a difference that the public, Kabuki-theater sessions existed and were attended by the public and the press? Would it be better to forego hours of waiting for incomprehensible but sometimes juicy tidbits to come out at the table and simply wait to complain about the outcome later? After all, the public was not allowed to speak or even come within 8 feet of the negotiating table. Despite the colossal waste of time, as with other meetings monitored by Portland Copwatch, it's probably best for the public to show up and let the powers that be know we are watching. Now if only they'd be so kind as to open the window so we can see what's going on. |
September, 2011
• Live Rounds Wound Man;
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