The President of the United States has proclaimed a "war" on the press. That means the leader of our country considers people like me an enemy. How do I spend my time? Trying to dig out facts that help keep the most powerful among us accountable.
Recently I and my team sued the city of Hayward because it had not complied with our state's Public Records Act by releasing documents pertaining to a possible case of corruption involving its police chief.
We won the suit, got the documents and the chief went into early "retirement." The city of Hayward was forced to pay our legal fees.
Next up: the city of Oakland. We have been waiting for two months to obtain fire investigation records in the wake of the awful Ghostship tragedy that led to the deaths of 36 people. That city is now badly in violation of the Public Records Act.
I met with our lawyers yesterday and we are preparing to take Oakland to court.
I feel like a character in Ibsen's great play, Enemy of the People. Sadly, this era in American history features an autocratic leader who would be happy to suppress the efforts of people like me to do what we feel we have to do on behalf of those around us who don't have much of a voice at all.
To him I say: Good luck. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is more powerful than you are, sir. And we will continue to exercise our right under that act regardless of what you do or say against us.
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