M E E T I N G S   &   M I N U T E S    I N F O

In Aug of 2000, I began attending & taking a few notes at VP Levee Cmsn mtgs.  That Dec, BOA mtgs were included & I started using & transcribing audio tapes for both.  Altho the Levee Cmsn consisted of about 17 men, approx 12 usually attended & Ald Causey was the only other consistent attendee.  Journalists never attended & this multi-million-dollar project was rarely even mentioned on the local news, except for little Casey Williamson’s horrendous murder at the glass factory ruins on 7/26/02. 

But even by 2000, the project was way beyond schedule, cost overruns were ludicrous & people were demanding why & who was responsible. Because their answers & leads to more evidence & proof were in my transcripts;  accurate details are mandatory in forcing responsible individuals accountable & finally setting a precedent;  & summarizing is wide open to misinterpretation, MOPR.ORG was created to share the transcripts.  With grassroots public records, denial is not so simple. 

Printing MOPR's Initials & Abbrevs (I&A) Page provides a quick reference since they & various shortcuts are used thruout this website.  Re the transcripts/MOPR Minutes:  time only permits guessing the spelling of some proper names & such;  question marks alone or following initials means that speaker ID is unknown or questionable;  text & a ? symbol within parentheses means best-deciphered/sounds-like;  without a question mark is MOPR notes;  blank underscoring is for indecipherable speech;  words emphasized or yelled are in CAPS;  barely audible speech is so-noted OR is in italics.

MOPR Minutes should not be used as an excuse for not attending mtgs.  Please come to the meetings.  Empty chairs encourage officials to run amuck like rich candy-store children.  BOA mtgs especially affect your daily lives, family & finances.  You are already involved, pre-paid & don't need to dress up or wait in line. 

Come & meet your neighbors;  practice tolerance, compassion & cooperation;  make new friends;  listen & learn about government, etc, etc;  like alderpersons, bring hearsay & get it cleared up;  support officials &/or speakers;  see what's left out or maybe kept out of newspapers & off TV;  DO something about your complaints;  ask questions;  demand answers;  share your knowledge;  voice your opinion;  demand equality;  reject & ward off oppression;  offer suggestions;  demonstrate People Power, reminding officials they're not to work just for themselves, family & friends;  preserve your children's rights;  stay as long as you like. 

The public is allowed to speak during BOA, Levee Cmsn mtgs & of course, Public Hearings;  but it's up to the chairman's prerogative at committee mtgs.  I believe that BOA mtgs go by The Modern Edition of Robert's Rules of Order.  See Sec 1 of Docs Page for a Standard BOA Agenda example, but at the mtg, pick up the current one & some Speaker Request forms (or see*below) at the hallway desk.  Combat oppression by speaking out about injustices or at least show your support for those who do.  HAVE A SAY IN WHAT HAS, IS & WILL BE DONE TO & ABOUT YOU & YOURS.  When your name is called, go to the podium, speak clearly & either loudly or directly & normally into the mic.

Instead of clip-on mics for the "stage people", the est'd $5000 audio system has regular mics that are avoided or not used properly.  So when officials & others mumble so that you cannot clearly hear every word, YELL OUT to PLEASE REPEAT THAT & SPEAK UP (practice now to be ready ).  Click the above Public Meetings Schedule link & mark your calendars now.  Thank you!

* Click & print your own Speakers Request Form, tear it in half like the city's, fill it in with a general topic that coincides with the agenda (such as a committee name) & set it up on the mayor's desk just before the BOA mtg starts.  People often exceeded 2 minutes without much ado until the 1/3/06 BOA mtg where a timing tool was used on Speakers, & Interim Mayor JW demanded obedience.