Most know of our local public access channel in the county, known as BKAT, that we help pay for by an added charge to our local cable bills. Most are probably unfamiliar with the inner working.

I recently viewed a government meeting on BKAT which was followed by a program known as DemocracyNow. The show was highlighting the law enforcement shootings around the country but more only in a gotcha style of programming meant more to damage rather than being factually presented in context. I admit that the recent national incidents are concerning but should they be broadcast here locally using our local taxpayer funds in an inflaming manner.  That was my beginning question.

Reaching out to BKAT’s manager about the programming and my concern I was told to take it up with the Citizen Advisory Board. The parting comment was “There needs to be an alternative message around here besides Fox News.” I was shocked with the comment thinking that there were many other cable news channels available to counter the manager’s statement.

I did seek out the Advisory Board to voice my growing concerns only to find out that the Citizen Advisory Board had not been in existence for years, many years. The published BKAT policy and Bremerton Municipal Code (law) speaks of the required board but there isn’t one. Now was the manager intentionally deceptive or just outright untruthful? To me, an important question as there appeared to be no way for citizen input or corrections that may not meet the manager’s agenda.

Now if a citizen was savvy enough to catch the last finance committee agenda it could be viewed that the ordinance/law that controls BKAT was quietly submitted for changes and rushed through the June 24 study session for a revision where citizens are not allowed to speak and forwarded on to this weeks at Bremerton’s City Council. That is a lot of hush and rush without any public discussion.

Still not addressed are all the broken policies and the law known as BMC 2.100. So what good is a law passed by council or others when staff can break them at will without repercussions. BMC’s can be used to throw citizens from their homes in Bremerton as was shown at the last council meeting just not to control the city staff as shown here.

Budgets have never been a good defense for breaking the law, just ask the homeless.

Robert Parker, Port Orchard