The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) fights legal battles to protect immigrants rights (despite legal status), challenges Donald Trump’s abuse of power, supports his impeachment, seeks to end capital punishment, and has a score of other priorities that Mezzacappa attributes to, “Libtards” and “Socialists.”
The ACLU stands for just about everything Tricia Mezzacappa, a.k.a., Tricia Phillips, is against.
However, despising the organization didn’t stop her from reaching out to Pennsylvania’s ACLU in a pitiful and desperate effort to stop the eventual passage of Pennsylvania House Bill No. 1931 (HB 1931).
HB 1931 is a Bill that would allow a public agency being harassed and overburdened with RTK Requests to seek relief through a hearing conducted by the Office of Open Records (OOR).
It isn’t a violation of civil liberties, except in the mind of Mezzacappa, who realizes she will likely be the first case that goes before the OOR for a hearing, considering she has submitted close to 200 RTK inquiries to West Easton and more than 20 to a local school system, in just a single year.
To know she reached out to the ACLU, in the hope they would take up her personal cause to prevent HB 1931 from moving forward, as some sort of civil liberties violation, is like seeing a vegetarian in the meat department, looking for a free handout from the butcher.
The rejection letter from the ACLU, which Mezzacappa reads as making headway because they told her it is on their “radar,” clearly indicates that the ACLU isn’t going to waste time and resources on a Pennsylvania Bill that resembles others already in place by at least 12 other states that had problems with vexatious requesters and made subsequent changes to their law.
All have withstood the few legal challenges made and provides a balance for public agencies who felt the law was being abused by a citizen – often intent on retaliation for decisions made by the agency, or who had a personal vendetta of some kind.
The ACLU gave her the standard response that informs a person that they only involve themselves in cases where civil liberties are violated, but assures them that they are monitoring their particular concern.
In other words, Yours is not a civil liberties violation, but to make you feel better, we’re telling you we care.
HB 1931 is the Vexatious Requester Amendment that was borne as a Resolution I drafted and was unanimously approved by West Easton Council in May.
Scoffed and ridiculed when the resolution was first voted on by Council, expecting it to accomplish nothing that would prevent her from burying West Easton, or other public agencies in Right To Know Requests, she is worried. She now falsely claims it is a return to government secrecy, as she tries to instill unfounded fear in others.
Following my personal effort during the early summer months to move it beyond West Easton and get it to the Pennsylvania Legislature, it received overwhelming support from other communities, Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs (PSAB), and Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS).
As state legislators throughout Pennsylvania learned of problems reported in their own districts, of the existing Right To Know Law being abused, it prompted HB 1931 to be drafted and co-sponsored by numerous members in the PA House of Representatives.
Mezzacappa, as hard as she is trying, is just unable to unring the bell that started a resolution toward becoming a House Bill.
I’m hoping they eventually name it, The Mezzacappa Amendment, in honor of the person who demonstrated the need for it.
I’ll offer up that idea, when I’m called to testify in the House.
Disclaimer: On January 4, 2016, the owner of WestEastonPA.com began serving on the West Easton Council following an election. Postings and all content found on this website are the opinions of Matthew A. Dees and may not necessarily represent the opinion of the governing body for The Borough of West Easton.
