With the Examiner’s recent investigation on the shortcomings of the SF Ethics Commission, we thought we’d reached a low point in enforcing transparency. But there was lower to go, as the Snitch over at SF Weekly tells us. It seems that two years ago, lobbyists were paid by the city to support AB 101, or what is now CA Vehicle Code 40240, a state law that allows The City, and only The City, to film transit-only zones such as those at bus stops, and furthermore, to keep these surveillance records private.
According to ethics watchdog Terry Franke, San Francisco’s Sunshine Ordinance prevents lobbyists from supporting laws that restrict public records. Even if it weren’t illegal, couldn’t it be called tacky to secretly pay lobbyists to enact secrecy laws?
