At the 4/17/2012 Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board Meeting, board member Lily Tram (up for re-election) made an odd request for “future consideration”:
#2. Report on District cost, Staff Time, and Any Other Relative Data Spent on Public Requests for Information. The report should list the requested information, date, name of person requesting the information, and if the person requesting information was charged for any costs.
Some citizens have been critical of the board’s actions, and have made good-faith attempts to ensure the district is spending taxpayer money wisely. They have made FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests, and they pay for them when charged for those costs.
Now, since when does spending taxpayer money bother Lily Tram?
Lily Tram (up for re-election) had no problem spending the taxpayers’ money on Staff time, plus legal counsel, plus several meetings, to figure out how to silence former board member Shane Stapley when he questioned the district’s policies and spending practices.
She ended up with such a contorted version of Open Meeting Law that Board members must resort to “Interpretive Dance” in order to figure out what they’re voting on. See Tram’s Rule Brings Ridicule.
She seems to have no problem spending even more taxpayer money on obtaining item #2.
EJ Anderson (up for re-election) voted right along with her. So did Helen Hollands.
Board Member Staci Burk, who voted NO, asked a logical question: “The law says we have to do it anyway, so why are we going to take more time to investigate the time?”
Lily Tram replied: “We just want to see how much time is spent on this, versus time spent on doing their job.”
Staci Burk: “That is their job”!
Yes. That is their job.
The real reason for Lily Tram’s “request” is to intimidate and threaten the citizenry into shutting up.
Commissar Lily managed to repress Shane Stapley with her ludicrous “Tram’s Rule.” If she doesn’t succeed in shutting up the citizenry, what’s next?
Is she going to file a lawsuit against the citizens, the same way that the Congress, AZ School District did?
Congress, AZ School District Sues Taxpayers to Stop Questions.