Why would I ask for a private meeting to discuss Right to Know? It's absurd

Rochester City Attorney Terence O'Rourke, in vest, confers with state rep Chuck Grassie moments before confronting Rochester Voice editor Harrison Thorp and escorting hiim out the door of City Manager Katie Ambrose's Office. (Rochester Voice photo)

What is there to hide? I recently experienced what many others had with Right-To Know (RTK) requests to the City of Rochester. In my opinion, stalling, blocking and denial that any such records exist, followed by a long
wait for the eventual, costly, document dump.

City employees work for the people. Any and all documents that show why and how decisions are made are
OUR documents with the small exceptions allowed in RSA 91-a. I asked for a meeting, and NEVER a private one, to discuss this problem in a Dec. 19, letter read at the televised City Council Workshop and then
hand delivered it to the City Manager.

I requested the record control departments, City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk and Information Technology (IT) Department heads be present at that meeting.
I was a little surprised when the meeting was about to start and Harrison Thorp, from the Rochester Voice was thrown out of the meeting with the warning to the rest of us that there would be no meeting if the press was allowed to
stay.

REALLY??
The meeting was about how the city deals with Right To Know requests and the press was denied access. Think about that folks. Doesn't freedom of the press and RTK go hand in hand? Do Constitutional rights mean anything in Rochester?

Does freedom of the Press only apply to FAVORABLE news articles, which pat the 'good old boy' network on the back . Isn't the press supposed to keep us informed...good or bad?

What were they afraid was going to come out?

Was it that they are following the New Hampshire Municipal Association's (NHMA) marching orders recommending all RTK responses, even if available in electronic format, be in 'tree killing' printed paper copies?
Was it that ideas to change the way RTK requests were handled to make it more complete and less costly somehow dangerous if that got out?
I testified on a couple of bills in Concord and told the committee what I had experienced in Rochester. Now the State knows how Rochester treats 'we the people" when they request RTK information.
Our N.H. Constitution Article 8 Public's Right to Know states rather clearly that: "Government, therefore, should be open, accessible, accountable and responsive. To that end, the public's right of access to
governmental proceedings and records shall not be unreasonably restricted."
Did you see the word 'SHALL"?
Be warned folks, when government denies freedom of the press, accountability, accessibility, and openness, we have a problem, a real problem.

When constitutional rights are trampled by those elected, appointed and hired to protect and observe them, (including our Mayor),we have a REAL BIG PROBLEM.

Strafford 1 State Rep Cliff Newton is a lifetime Rochester resident.