Avoiding a repeat of last year's confrontation with activists about the secret nature of the D.C. Council's budget discussions, Council Chairman Vincent Gray ensured that the discussions would be more accessible this year. Noting his interest in increased transparency, Chairman Gray provided for a camera in the Council's deliberations room, with the video being broadcast on the District' Cable Channel 13. Those at the Wilson Building to observe the negotiations could watch the video feed live from Room 123, and the footage is also available on the Council's website. During the discussions about last year's budget, only certain members of the media were allowed into the room -- though they provided tweets of the discussion, many who were concerned about the cuts being made to the District's safety net felt that the otherwise closed doors were inappropriate for talks of such vital public importance. See the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute's blog posting here, and note that the City Paper's Loose Lips applauds the move here (this posting includes the text of Chairman Gray's letter); D.C. Wire also covers. However, Tom Sherwood is concerned that important dynamics are missed when the public only gets the view from the camera.