The appearance of corruption is just as pernicious as real corruption itself. Connecticut has so many houses of cards being propped up by corruption, no wonder legislators are freaking out about being held accountable on video. The state's cannabis social equity council has already banned public comment at their public meetings. Seems like this is the next logical step for them to silence any and all dissent.

Yeah because barging into a town hall and pestering the town clerk while recording them really is exposing corruption.

I'm all for recording town meetings and (scheduled) interactions with town employees. Transparency is good for our democracy.

What isn't good or helpful is busting into someones office unannounced, shoving a camera/phone in their face, and rattle of questions. It's stupid.

That's not a first amendment thing. That's just being a dick.

These guys coming in and disrupting public agencies under the guise of exposing corruption aren't honestly attempting to expose corruption in the first place. They're just pestering people on until one snaps to generate rage bait content on YouTube or TikTok or wherever.

You want to expose corruption? You FOIA documents. Look up court records, campaign contributions, police records, contracts. Build credibility with sources to a point where they go on the record with you. You know, stuff that actual journalists do.

As a citizen, I'd be absolutely livid if one of these jackwagons came in while I was, say, trying to get a license down at the DMV, and totally muck up the operation. Where's my right to functioning government services, and how is that less important than generating ragebait for some dishonest actor?

I don't understand the problem. I can see if someone comes in and creates a disturbance, but most of the time these people come in where the public is allowed to go and just record to see if someone tries to stop them. There is no disturbance until our public servants freak out over it which is ironic because almost all public buildings have cameras rolling 24/7.

After watching these videos. It’s more so about the individual participating in constitutionally protected activities. They walk around in the Public spaces of government buildings. They stand on the sidewalks of public roads, they stand within the parking lots of public government buildings, and they enter the lobby’s and public areas within governmental buildings. (Think post office, library, police station, town hall) They are filming, minding there own business waiting to see how the staff or workers will react. Most times, the staff does not understand that the individual is participating in a constitutionally protected activity (filming) The staff then escalates, try’s to tell the individual to leave, and the individual does not. They wait for the police to come, which again, they test the police officers on whether or not they are going to arrest them for a constitutionally protected activity. And then from there the videos normally end in the supervisor getting called, explaining to everyone that the individual is free to stay and film OR they get arrested and then there’s follow up videos of them winning lawsuits.

It’s really not a big deal, the government employees overreact and don’t understand the basics of the constitution. But they learn. One interaction at a time.

There is no YouTube videos if the employee does not engage. That’s the biggest take away. Don’t engage and they go away.

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Correct. The employees of the establishments are generally acting in manner that they believe to be true, and are acting in a manner to protect there place of work and the individuals inside. But what the individuals recording the video are trying to make public is the authorities knowledge of the law. To hold the Public servants accountable to protect our rights as citizens as stated in the constitution.( FILMING IN PUBLIC)

It’s the police officers who’s duty it is to protect and serve, meaning to protect our constitutional rights. A public building “policy” can not go against a constitutionally protect activity. This is what they are trying to expose.

Again- it is in the interest of all governmental employees to not engage the individuals with the cameras. They are trying to get you to “act a fool” to get the police involved, so they can test the police officers knowledge.

Honestly, kudos to the police officers that understand what is going on and deescalate the situations.

Shame on those who don’t understand and escalate the situations leading to lawsuits.

Do you freak out when you see cameras in a bank? Or in the post office? Or the town hall? Or in nearly every single business you go into? Maybe I would find them annoying, but who says I get to be the arbiter of what's reasonable behavior especially when what they are doing is neither harmful nor illegal? I've seen some of the videos on youtube and as far as I can tell for the most part they just want to be left alone to record in spaces they are allowed to be in, and if they don't get the reaction they will just get bored and go away. Maybe we hire some adults to work in important positions that can handle the stress and rigors of having someone record their public workplace for a few minutes? If you choose to be a public servant, being watched is to be expected I think.

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My biggest issue with these guys is that they are specifically looking for trouble by expecting perfection out of the responses they get. When they don't get that perfection, they make rage bait videos for others to see the "corruption" and how terrible they were treated while ignoring the fact that they're being general dickwads. Their goal is rage clicks and money, not exposure.

I just remember when one of these channels went to Putnam Town Hall fully prepared to do their antagonistic thing. Then Barney Seney came in and gave them a full tour and they visibly broke character and loved the guy.

Shows me that a lot of it is just clickbait and semi-staged on their ends. They want to be confrontational and for town employees to get uncomfortable and that’s just mean.

Do not need the problems with this Transparency is best for all especially with CT leaders🤔

Its good to have them out detecting police officers who do not have temperament to carry a weapon but harassing office workers to get the police to come is stupid shit.