Thread by @RectorSun

Hey MD lawmakers and @GovLarryHogan: Remember how the @mtamaryland refused a series of extremely reasonable requests for me to (not even share but) review footage (or still)s from Mondawmin during the unrest? It's #SunshineWeek - care to revisit the issue? baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/…

.@mtamaryland's reason for not releasing footage is that doing so would divulge its cameras' locations & how they pan & zoom. That's despite:

1. many of the cameras already being in CLEAR view;

2. my agreeing to not release the footage;

3. my agreeing to even just view stills.

The above reason only came after I came up with solutions to all their previous concerns, or reasons why they no longer applied years later. Basically, the agency kept finding new reasons to refuse my request, until they just dug in on the one above even though it makes no sense.

Don't tell me to go to @MPIA_Ombuds, bc I already did that. She has no power & it fixed nothing. I even went to DHS at one point, after MTA blamed their refusal on the cams being federally funded. DHS said they had no position as long as MTA refused, which OF COURSE IT DID.

Here are the cameras that the MTA doesn't want us to know the *location* of. I mean, come on. I still don't understand how the MTA officials who fed me that line could do so with a straight face.

https://twitter.com/justin_fenton/status/870737075942944768

After 2-yr story ran I believe I called every state lawmaker repping Baltimore then, to check for any outrage/reaction. Only one who called me back - the only one! - was @LukeClippinger. TBH, story headlined "Lawmaker demands answers..." just isn't same as "LawmakerS demand..."

To listen to them talk, every politician ever elected is for government transparency and accountability. In practice, very few are -- and even fewer are in a way that actually moves the needle toward more gd SUNSHINE.

Challenge your lawmakers on this point.

Happy #SunshineWeek

I know a bunch of lawmakers follow me on here. Where y'all at now? 👀👀👀
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