The Buzz 03.14.24

FREE SPEECH

If a government agency refuses to provide you with a requested public record, chances are you’ll have to sue to compel them to abide by transparency laws. That was the takeaway from a nationwide review by the Associated Press and CNHI News released during Sunshine Week, which found that fewer than a third of states have procedures to resolve open government complaints without going to court. In California, there is no office that reviews disputes, although the attorney general and local prosecutors have some authority to go to court over alleged open meetings violations, according to the report. Connecticut, as an example, has a Freedom of Information Commission, which reviews complaints to determine if open records laws were violated, and has the power to impose fines on agencies that are found to be in the wrong. “Unfortunately, in the United States, almost everywhere, you have to go to court to enforce these laws. And that’s just wrong,” David Cuillier, director of the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida, told the AP. “If the system requires the average person to hire an attorney to make democracy work, then it’s really broken.”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I would like to inform those who feel terrified by my presence that I will be in town.” - Monaco-based developer Patrice Pastor, speaking March 5 in Carmel. He suggested: “Either take a vacation during this period or come meet me for a relaxation class” (see story, mcweekly.com)

GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK

GOOD:

A team of Greenfield High School students proved they know their stuff when it comes to foreign policy. Enrique Anguiano, Abraham Carrillo and Daniel Morales took first place in the Academic World Quest Competition on Feb. 24 against four other Monterey County high schools. Organized by the World Affairs Council of Monterey Bay Area, the team game requires the students to answer questions in 10 categories, which include “NATO: Alliance and Collective Defense in a Changing World,” “Sports and Diplomacy,” “Promoting a Green Europe” and “Navigating AI.” The students and their coach, Evangelina Mateo, will now head to Washington, D.C. to compete at the national level on April 20. “My favorite part of the competition was the thrill of finally completing the competition,” Anguiano said in a press release. “This was rewarding because of all of the time and effort that went into studying for it.”

GREAT:

Great news for the Monterey High School Toreadores boys’ basketball team, which made history and clinched its first-ever state title after a 74-66 win over the Chatsworth Chancellors in the California Interscholastic Federation’s Division 4 contest on March 9. “This marks a historic moment as it’s only the second time a team from Monterey County has seized the coveted state title,” the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District announced. Ryan Roth, 18, says winning the title is still setting in. “It’s just a lot of hard work, and to see all that hard work pay off, it’s just super rewarding,” he says. The team finished with 25 wins and 6 losses. Coach Greg Daniels Jr. says talent is only one of the factors a team needs to succeed. “We have a family environment. We care for one another. We try to play for one another and I think that’s important,” Daniels says.