Californians Aware

The Center for Public Forum Rights

CalAware FAQ . . .
What is Californians Aware?

It's a nonprofit organization established in 2004 to help taxpayers, public officials and journalists
keep Californians aware of what they need to know to hold government and other powerful
institutions accountable for their actions. Its mission is to support and defend open government, an
enquiring press and a citizenry free to exchange facts and opinions on public issues. In short,
Californians Aware is a center for information, guidance and initiatives in public forum law.

What is public forum law?

Public forum law deals with people’s rights to find out what citizens need to know to be truly self-
governing, and to share what they know and believe without fear or loss.These rights are
complementary. Open meetings and public records laws keep information about civic issues freely
available. Protections for journalists, activists, whistleblowers and others striving to keep the
community armed with the facts and their implications complete the circle of law that it takes to
keep Californians aware.After all, ready access to government meetings and files means little if no
one dares report or comment on what they learn. And people willing to take a stand and speak out
are easily disabled and discredited if the facts and discussions that advance government and other
powerful institutions are sealed away from their discovery.

Why the phrase “public forum?”

A public forum is a commons for communication—a space where speech on matters of

importance to the community is expected and protected. Many public forums are in the public
space literally: streets, parks and plazas where citizens interact, informing and persuading one
another. Many others are provided by government: official meetings of local and state bodies
where citizens address their elected or appointed public servants, on the record.Still others are
privately owned sectors opened by tradition or law to some civic discourse: newspaper editorial
pages, radio talk shows and certain large shopping malls. The most dynamic forum is the Internet.

What trends threaten public forums?

• Excessive official secrecy, leaving a public starved of the facts that are staples of speech.
• Intimidation or retaliation, placing too high a price on inquiry, reporting or comment.
• Eroding opportunity, caused by dwindling space or time for expected and protected speech.

What does Californians Aware propose to do about these trends?

We propose to offer resources to fight them, and to do so without political partisanship or

ideology. Our only agenda is to allow others’ agendas, however tentative or unpopular at the
moment, to be offered and debated for whatever support they may attract.

2218 Homewood Way, Carmichael, CA 95608 • (916) 487-7000 • info@calaware.org • www.calaware.org

The challenge has three levels:
• Encouraging the improvement of public forum law in the Legislature and the courts.
• Promoting better practices and better observance of the law by public agencies.
• Assuring that citizens know their rights and protections and how to use them confidently.

What can Californians Aware do for me?

• Work to preserve and extend your liberties and protections before your speech or civic action
puts them into play.
• When you do need it, provide information and experienced guidance on how to deal with
forces striving to keep you in the dark, keep you silent or keep you excluded from a public forum.
• If, finally, suing or defending a suit is the only option, help you find an experienced lawyer.
Specifically, we can help if you are, for example:
A reporter kept from a news scene, a government file or a court proceeding or document
on grounds that may or may not reflect the law, or facing legal risks or threats in pursuing a story.
A parent kept from addressing the school board or denied access to relevant information
about what the district did or plans to do.
A taxpayer who can’t get answers about how public funds were spent or who played a role
in changing or bending the rules that affect your home or business.
A teacher threatened with reprisal for speaking your mind, or a student newspaper editor
told you have to kill a story.
A petition signature gatherer or activist pamphleteer prevented from approaching fellow
citizens door to door, on the street or in a shopping complex.
A condominium owner who wants to get messages to neighbors about how the
homeowners’ association is being run — messages embarrassing to the management.
A college student kept out of meetings of student government that decide how your fees
are spent or other important campus issues.
A neighborhood organizer warned to stop criticizing a project development or face a
bankrupting lawsuit.
An elected board or council member warned to stop asking inconvenient questions at
public meetings, or questioning staff about a constituent’s neglected concerns.
A watchdog ordered to stop videotaping the meeting of a public body.

What is Californians Aware’s financing source and leadership?

Our income sources so far have consisted in contributions, memberships, book sales, and
occasional limited project-specific grants. Our leadership is a board of 12 directors representing
three segments of the community concerned with open government and First Amendment rights:
citizen activists, journalists and public officials.
• Tim Crews, Willows, President (Weekly Newspaper Editor and Publisher)
• Robert Stern, Malibu, Vice President (Public Interest Attorney, Government Ethics Veteran)
• Emelyn Rodriguez, Sacramento, Secretary-Treasurer (State Political Ethics Attorney)
• Kelly Aviles, LaVerne, Vice President/Open Government Compliance (Public Interest Attorney)
• JW August, San Diego, President Ameritus (Broadcast News Producer)
• Donna Frye, San Diego, President Emerita (Citizen Activist)
Directors: Julie Biggs (Local Government Attorney), Alicia Lewis (Legislative Chief of Staff),
Vladimir Ivanovic (Local Elected Official), Kathie Moran (Citizen Activist,), Marjie Lundstrom
(Daily Newspaper Investigative Journalist, and Dan Laidman (Media Attorney).
Executive Director and General Counsel Terry Francke

2218 Homewood Way, Carmichael, CA 95608 • (916) 487-7000 • info@calaware.org • www.calaware.org