In January, Tom Bazan filed a TxPIA request with Metro for the FY2007 report. When he made this request, he informed Metro that he was unlikely to be as patient this year as he was last year. In that case, Metro made Tom wait four months to see the FY2006 report.
This past Friday, Tom sent out an emergency email blast noting that Metro had notified him that he could view the report on February 21st at 4 p.m. The problem? Metro’s monthly board meeting (where the report would be presented) is scheduled for February 21st at 1 p.m.
That’s right: Metro wasn’t going to show Tom the report until after the board meeting so he could not comment on the report at the meeting. Talk about transparency in action!
Three hours after Tom sent the email notifying everyone on his list that Metro was stonewalling him, he received another email from Metro’s legal department, telling him that he could view the report Monday (tomorrow!) at 10 a.m. That was a fast stand-down!
Why the change? I don’t know, but Tom has received favorable rulings from the Texas Attorney General’s office on TxPIA requests. The latest is a request that Metro still refuses to release to him — all information relating to Metro PD’s light rail fare blitzes, something Mary Sit publicized on her blog. Texas AG Greg Abbott ruled in Tom’s favor that Metro must release the information, but he’s still waiting.
Maybe a local media person got wind of Metro’s refusal to let the report be viewed — and it is public information — and put in a request to see the report. Who knows?
Anyway, remember this as another example of Frank “Procurement Disaster” Wilson’s transparency.
