Archive for June 24, 2008
Our Friend The NMIPRA
by John Weckerle
In response to concerns voiced by former Edgewood Mayor Howard Calkins in a letter to The Independent and by others in a variety of venues, I submitted an Open Meetings Act complaint to the NM Attorney General’s office several weeks ago. This complaint revolved around Mr. Calkins’s concerns and what has been suggested as an excessive use of e-mail that may not be in compliance with the Open Meetings Act. The AG’s office has responded with a request for additional information, which has been compiled and is being submitted. I have also been submitting requests for information regarding the recent debate on funding Town events, and thus far the Town has cooperated.
This brings us to a short discussion of the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act (NMIPRA), which provides that every public body must provide access to records for the purpose of inspection to every person requesting it. NMIPRA provides statutory time limits for response and penalties for improper denial of access, including damages of up to $100 per day plus reasonable attorney’s fees. The Act also provides for enforcement either through the Attorney General’s office or by civil action through district court.
It is important for all residents of our area to know their rights under this very important statute. We are therefore providing the text of the statute as well as our letter to the Town of Edgewood as an example.
Jar Shapes Demystified
by John Weckerle
In comments to our last post, questions were posed and answers theorized as to the reasons why peanut butter comes in round containers, rather than square ones that would minimize wasted space in crates and boxes used in shipping. We sent messages to Con Agra (the makers of Peter Pan peanut butter) and Smucker’s asking for clarification, and received this response from Con Agra. While our proposed reasons probably had some validity, their reason was perhaps more simple: it’s easier to get the peanut butter out of a round container.