Petrelis Files

Oakland's Dellums, Like SF HIV Panel, Hates Sunshine Laws

When the issue is public advisory panels organized to make suggestions to politicians and set health care or HIV policy, I think there should be no fear of sunshine and full openness. After all, the panels are ostensibly set up to bring about transparency, and hopefully, better understanding by the public into the workings of government and research. Just try telling this to former U.S. Congressman and Oakland's mayor-elect Ron Dellums.

Today's Chip Johnson opinion column in the San Francisco Chronicle takes Dellums to task for his advisory panels' rather vampire-like operations:

Depending on whom you ask, as many as 800 Oakland citizens applied for more than four dozen committees that Mayor-elect Ron Dellums established to create a blueprint for his administration-to-be -- the centerpiece of which he said would be a completely open government process.

But the people serving on those committees since Dellums' election have not been announced. And while some of their meetings have been held on the third floor of Oakland City Hall, very little information has been released to the public -- or to the media.

Meetings held in public buildings are open to anyone who wishes to attend them. But these gatherings, unlike City Council meetings, for example, do not have to be publicly announced under state open meetings laws, because Dellums, who created the citizen groups, won't take the oath of office until Jan. 8.

As with the fraternal order of Masons, you apparently have to be a member to know what's going on. [...]

If I didn't know any better, I'd say Dellums and his panels were advised by San Francisco's HIV vaccine trials CAB, community advisory board, which is doing a fabulous job of keeping the gay community and the public in the dark. Count Dracula couldn't do a better job of keeping the sunshine away.

The Chronicle's Chip Johnson points out how a lesbian is involved in the Oakland panels, but isn't doing much to provide information:

Peggy Moore, a onetime City Council candidate who worked for Dellums' campaign, heads a committee that is expected to identify the issues, concerns and desires that are unique to Oakland's substantial gay, lesbian and transgender community.

But Moore is being mum. On Monday, she declined to be interviewed and deferred all questions about the task force's work to Dellums' campaign staff. And calls to two other committee members were not returned.

Why are Dellums and SF HIV vaccine researcher Dr. Susan Buchbinder so committed to avoiding sunshine? Between Dellums and Buchbinder, the Bush administration could learn much about government secrecy and lack of accountability and transparency, something that is a mark of shame for the mayor-elect and the community researcher.