Saturday, May 9, 2015

Richardson Document Retention Policy Change Again- Hide, Destroy and Hinder




Several years ago, I was at city hall picking up some documents requested. I noticed several boxes on a dolly with writing on the side that got my attention. Here is the picture:

 


“Immediate destruction” was written on the side of the box on top.

It was part of the great document purge towards the end of Keffler’s time as city manager. They didn’t want their dirty secrets to get out.

I got a note the other day about some golf course documents that showed the document retention policy has been changed again. Now, the retention policy is 1 year.

It seems recent events have prompted changes. People asking for email records, phon e records, the mayor affair with the developer, all seem to have the effect of putting the city administrators and the city council on the defense and limit what the citizens can get from open records requests.

My take is that if they are being so protective over what citizens can get, shortening the document retention periods and purging information that could lead to serious questions, they are in defense mode and want to hide as much information as they can.

That is not open government. It is something else entirely. It indicates they do not want people to know what is or has been going on.

People need to speak up. If everything were truly on the up and up at city hall, destruction of records would be abnormal and long term document retention would be the norm. If they are not ashamed of their actions, they would not be destroying the information.
Things like this, would not have come to light. The documents showing the taxpayers paid for renting a Lear Jet for the former mayor's personal business travel: http://graphics.dc-tm.com/GarySlagelLearJetRental.pdf

It also would not have shown for a three year period, it cost about 4 million for 4 city employees: http://graphics.dc-tm.com/3YearCostFor4CityEmployees-2010.pdf.

The actions of document destruction and limited document retention more clearly indicate corruption than anything else they do.

 

17 comments:

  1. The FBI will get past the document destruction. Since this is a public fraud case, they will get access to Mascara's text messages, emails and phone calls where it can be proven that she was hooking up with her two-timing "special" friend to exchange bodily fluids on a regular basis before critical section 8 votes.

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  2. Records retention schedules are set by the legislature and administered by the Library and Archives Commission. Richardson follows these schedules.

    https://www.tsl.texas.gov/slrm/recordspubs/localretention.html

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    1. non@4:02 P.M.
      You are correct in your comment on who sets the schedules for records retention.

      Unless the standards/rules/legislation have changed recently, records that are classified as "Administrative" (which includes everything that is substantive to municipal operations) must be retained a minimum of TWO YEARS.

      Given no changes to those criteria it appears Richardson is NOT following the law by only retaining emails for one year.  

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    2. Don't you just love when pious immorality trumps civil justice? While the activities at city hall depress the public into despondency, the people who have most to hide are destroying their dirty secrets. Is it not amazing at how little human nature has changed in thousands of years? Really gives one pause to wonder if this is the best our cherished society has to offer, or if Richardson is just the poster child for indecency.

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  3. I hope Townsend and Simpson will pledge not to have sexual intercourse or oral sex with any developer trying to build stick built slum apartment next to Canyon Creek

    To bad Mascara couldn't keep her panties on long enough to last the term - the FBI will get to the bottom of this

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for that mental image. A stick built slum is befitting a town that has chased more than 98% of its residents from the voting booth. When less than 2% get you elected, it says something about which side the butter is on. Why do I feel like I'm being greased up for another screwing?

      We need to give these slippery weenies recognition for what they do best. The document retention policy is about as meaningful as the paper used to clean up with. Don't want that slimy bio-hazard mess laying around.

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  4. As always, the cover up can be more illegal than the actual crime - and that may be what ultimately brings down the powers that be in Richardson. I can only imagine the correspondence between the mayor and others behind the scenes.

    As I've said many times, she was an idiot for not resigning months ago. She could have blamed it on her health, and then quietly gone away. She could have spared her family and herself an enormous amount of grief and embarassment. And I know she is lying about the lack of "child support" or contributions her ex-husband is making for their kids.

    I have known the mayor for years. I have been openly critical of the her on many blogs and publications, and I have always used my name. To the "Anonymous" posters above, if you are going to make salacious comments, please own up to them and have the guts to use your real name. The mayor has given us a treasure trove of issues to criticize her without being nasty. And she will use your comments to garner sympathy. And she is a charlatan who deserves no sympathy.

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    1. Mascara needs to move out of the community - until she does, her legacy is trading body fluids for political votes

      No one in PC/CC that knows her is sympathetic to her - we talk about her all the time

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  5. In a perfect world, speech is truly free. Not so in Richardson. If you are foolish enough to disclose your identity, expect the hounds to be released on you. There is more than ample evidence of abuse of power in this town. To prove the point, the Coalition loyalists get a pass while the citizen advocates get thrashed if they run for public office (challenging a Coalitionist).

    Brutal honesty is not appreciated in Richardson because of the dishonesty it exposes. The only way to get it out without getting stabbed in the back is to not enable the Coalitionists to spin the story to be about you. Deception is the only game in town. What a pity.

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    Replies
    1. Then you have played into the hands of the Coalition and they have won.

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    2. With the recent press like the article in the Dallas Observer, now is the perfect time to reveal your identities. What are they going to do? Pay for 100s of people to be investigated and then put out a mailer?

      Go watch “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Richardson has become Pottersville, and the whole city is kowtowing to Mr. Potter. The citizens of Richardson need to collectively grow a pair and take their city back.

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  6. I'm not a fan of Maczka but some of the comments here are out of line and by posting them on this venue, you are merely putting yourself on the same level as Ms Maczka.

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  7. I disagree... Some of the comments might be out of line... But the mayors actions have stirred such an anger in the residents. When no one in city government seems to care about the actions of elected officials the anger only seems to grow. The citizens have sought the appropriate channels to voice concerns and when nothing is even stated about it and a dog and pony show takes place ... People have the right to be angry.

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    1. I also disagree - calling a two timing sleeze a 2 timing sleeze, is not out of line when she sold out her own neighborhood for her own personal gain is NOT out of line. If you want to sleep around on your husband and family, don't be an elected official with a duty to your constituents -

      Bill Clinton didn't hurt the country when he gave Monica Lewinsky hummers.

      Mayor Mascara could of screwed anyone she wanted and I could care less...but when she dropped her panties for a future Section 8 stick built slum next to CC, she crossed the line.

      Thank god the FBI is investigating

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  8. An opinion expressing disappointment or displeasure in a person or circumstance can be made more positively without crude language.  Because a person or action offends your sense of values doesn't excuse your using offensive language in addressing it.
    Such wording only diminishes the impact of your comment.

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    Replies
    1. I agree. Seems it's probably the same folks posting the same classless phrases over and over.

      The political aspect makes me angry, but what she did to her kids makes me sick. And this kind of junk doesn't help that.

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  9. And proves all kinds of klassy people live in Richardson. Not just Laura M

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