N.C. Press Lobbyist Lying To Committee in Regards to Guilford County Public Notice Bill

Greensboro City Councilman Tony Wilkins has heard some interesting news out of Raleigh N.C.where things are coming to a boil in regards to allowing local governments in Guilford County to have the option of using electronic notices to get information to the citizens in this county saving thousands and thousands of dollars each year. Travis Fain from the Greensboro News and Record has a report out today HERE

Here is the exchange between Councilman Tony Wilkins  and City Manager Denise Turner Roth that happened today.

Councilman Tony Wilkins:
Hey Denise,

 

Just wanted to clarify that I have been given some misinformation.

 

I got a call this morning that said the N&R lobbyist in Raleigh stated on the floor of the House yesterday that the city manager of Greensboro, Denise Roth, opposed the Electronics Notice Bill. The bill failed on a 10-10 vote.

 

I replied that could not be true because council voted unanimously to support the bill.

 

It comes back up today and I want to get word to Raleigh the information presented yesterday was false.

 

Please verify that you did not make that statement.

 

Thanks,

Tony Wilkins

 

RESPONSE from Greensboro City Manager Denise Turner Roth

 

You are correct Tony. I was just told the same thing this morning and was very upset. I have never had a conversation with anyone from the N&R about this bill. It floors me that my name has been used by them. I did speak with Rep. Adams this morning and explained that this item was supported by Council as part of its legislative agenda. I also explained from a management perspective, if we had this authority there were likely be some things we would seek to exercise it (posting electronic notices) for but there are some things we would likely keep posting in traditional news papers like rezoning cases. I also had the same conversation with Sen. Wade.

On a related matter, Alfrique with the Carolina Peacemaker called very upset a little while ago that the City Council is supporting this effort. I am preparing a message to go to all of Council as a heads up.

 

Denise Turner Roth, City Manager

City of Greensboro  

 

 

Triadwatch is trying to get to the bottom of this to find out which N.C. Press Association lobbyist member if LYING to the committee stating that a local Greensboro City Manager is opposed to this bill when in reality she works for the City of Greensboro and their legislative agenda for 2013 is for them to have the ability to use electronic notices without going through the mandated and outdated law that states you have to provide public information only in a paid paper of weekly circulation to qualify.

When can we see some legislators understand that it is time to think ahead for a change and start allowing counties who want them to provide public notices electronically to do so.  Senator Trudy Wade has been a stalwart on this issue along with plenty of other representatives like House Rep. Jon Hardister  from Guilford County as well. They have been out front with all of these bills and it looks like we might see a pilot program coming out of Guilford County in regards to public notices, they plan on voting on this tonight since it got out of the house committee and all the BLOWHARDS from the N.C. Press Association who are LYING to a committee to make this bill go away should be ashamed of themselves since all they are thinking is the mighty taxpayer funded state mandated dollar nothing else.

Can the N.C. Press Association understand that their government assisted state law gravy train is slowly coming to a end  and it is time for local city and county governments to provide this information to their constituents as they see fit and save taxpayer dollars to boot.