FOIAed Again
We’re intrigued by the prominent placement of this description of Karen Sidney in an Ann Arbor News profile of the accountant/lawyer/gadfly who’s been making FOIA requests for documents related to the city budget: “As an attorney, Sidney said she specializes in finding money people may be trying to hide. She calls it ‘investigative accounting.’” While the article doesn’t make any specific allegations of corruption in A2 finances, its cautious but insinuating tone makes us wonder if there’s a story about to break soon. (via Goodspeed)
I have worked with Karen Sidney. What she’s looking for is not always, strictly speaking, corruption.
For example, in 2000, when I was a county commissioner, Judge Nancy Francis was abruptly “reassigned” out of Juvenile Court (reportedly on orders from the chief justice of the state supreme court), and Washtenaw County’s juvenile justice system was remade in a much more punitive mold. For example, caseworkers were retitled as “probation officers”, and given heavier caseloads; cases were sped through the system with use of magistrates; counseling and schooling were cut back; and heavier use was made of detention or imprisonment for juveniles.
Karen, a polemicist with a low-key style, was among those who disagreed with this action, and did considerable research (using Freedom of Information Act and other tools) to help make the case that this was a bad idea.
Not that we were able to change anything. The state supreme court has tremendous power over local courts, and it is currently controlled by five right-wing ideologues.
My own father grew up in brutal foster homes, became a juvenile delinquent, was arrested for burglary, but was fortunate enough to receive help that turned things around for him. Unlike many of his peers, he graduated from high school; he eventually went to college and grad school, and became a university professor before he was 40.
Simply writing off all “bad kids” as hopeless is a wasteful policy.
posted by Larry Kestenbaum on May 19th, 2004 at 4:56 pmWell, aside from possible corruption and more towards wastefulness, I think it’s ridiculous that (given all the city & county naturalists already around) there’s a city ornithologist, and isn’t there a city entomologist too? What next? City amoeba monitor? Rotifer SWAT team? Paramecium liason officer?
posted by Laura on May 19th, 2004 at 8:10 pmThe local bureaucracy is more interested in the bottom line than in providing good basic services.
It’s sad that the politicians and city administration have bought into the corporatization of government.
Public policy isn’t based on how well the public is served anymore. It’s based on how little money can be spent.
posted by mucho gusto on May 19th, 2004 at 9:15 pmSpeaking of wasted money, what does everyone think about this upcoming school millage? A new high school built on forest next to a freeway… in a district where enrollment is expected to DECLINE in coming years?
Moreover, aren’t AAPS consistently rated among the best in the state? Do they really NEED all this money?
posted by Brandon on May 19th, 2004 at 10:20 pmWitholding money from the school system is not the way to get it to do what you want it to. A better strategy is to help get the millage approved and work for change (if you want change) by talking to school board members, helping get a sympathetic candidate elected, or running for SB yourself. A2 schools will not continue to be the best if people keep thinking, “Oh, they’re the best, so why do they need more money?” I have seen schools elsewhere suffer because of their good reputation–an unfortunate paradox.
posted by c-loh on May 21st, 2004 at 12:10 pmAnd by the way, if the schools go downhill, all this talk of whether we want more density in the downtown will be moot, because everyone will be moving away from Ann Arbor.
Ok, end of lecture.
Also, does anyone know what the deal is with the shakeup at the Planning Department? Why the reorganization and abrupt (and brusque) elimination of the director’s position?
posted by c-loh on May 21st, 2004 at 12:12 pmI’ve been wondering about that myself. Of course, there’s no evidence that it is anything other than streamlining, but I’m not quite comfortable with the change, and wonder if the mayor is just trying to get more of his pawns in power.
posted by Brandon on May 22nd, 2004 at 12:37 am