The American Society of Newspaper Editors dedicate this week each year as Sunshine Week. Its purpose is to remind Americans that public officials must conduct public business openly for all to see.
Sunshine Week coincides with James Madison’s birthday. Madison was the nation’s fourth president. He drafted the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution and became known as the “father of the Bill of Rights.” He believed fiercely that government should not be able to hide its activities from the public it was designed to serve.
And this year is the 47th anniversary of the federal Freedom of Information Act that was passed amid the push for clean government after the Watergate mess.
The Tribune and newspapers across the country work to ensure — as the St. Louis Post Dispatch said in an editorial this week — “that public business is accessible to the public, those who pay the taxes and elect the officials.” It goes on to say “those that work in the public interest must work in the public view.”
Don’t think that this happens without resistance.
The Arizona legislature is considering virtually eliminating public notices by putting them on government web sites instead of requiring independent publishing. A scheduled vote Monday was cancelled, presumably because the sponsor did not have the votes lined up; a second attempt at a floor vote Tuesday was also put off, leaving the bill’s status further up in the air.
At the federal level, Americans submitted more than 590,000 requests for information from its government in 2012 under the Freedom of Information Act. The Obama administration rejected one-third of the requests. According to an Associated Press analysis this week, the Obama administration last year cited legal exceptions more than any administration in history to deny requests for information. It often cited national security and “internal deliberations” as the need to reject requests.
“FOIA is an imperfect law, and I don’t think that’s changed over the last four years since Obama took office,” said Alexander Abdo, an ACLU staff attorney for its national security project. “We’ve seen a meteoric rise in the number of claims to protect secret law, the government’s interpretations of laws or its understanding of its own authority. In some ways, the Obama administration is actually even more aggressive on secrecy than the Bush administration.”
Newspapers will be diligent in exposing government acts done in secrecy whether they are city, county, state or federal officials. It is then up to the voters to toss the rascals out of government when they insist on trying to do business in secret.
Masterrogue666 posted at 8:59 pm on Fri, Mar 15, 2013.
"the Obama administration last year cited legal exceptions more than any administration in history to deny requests for information" -- So much for POTUS Obama's pledge to make HIS administration's actions transparent. I wonder, what is it that they wish to hide....
Bluepoet posted at 2:53 pm on Tue, Mar 19, 2013.
So, instead of paying newspapers to print public notices, lawmakers want to post notices on their own websites? And, what is your problem with that, other than less revenue for your newspaper? Could you not still post those notices, as news? It wouldn't be too hard--after all, even an unpaid intern could look it up, online, and copy/paste it into your paper's newsroom computer. After all, 90% of you do that already--it's called AP/Reuters (as in, perhaps you should do your own digging?)
As for the Freedom of Information Act...it's a great thing, and I'm sure an honorable fight to continue...however, it's not that hard to understand why there's pushback. Sometimes, it really is for National Security reasons, or on-going investigations.
So, as a news organization, remain skeptical, and keep the pressure on, but don't lose sight of the perspective, and make darn sure your own motives are above board, first..(as in, sure it will sell, but is it accurate and noteworthy?)
Arizona Willie posted at 1:37 pm on Wed, Mar 27, 2013.
How can you expect any transparency from government when we have state legislatures voting to make it a crime to video animal cruelty on " farms "?
When the government makes it a crime to reveal companies / individuals committing other crimes we are in deep trouble. Especially when the people don't make a peep but just go their merry way and say " not my problem ".
I was stunned when I read that the Maricopa County Supervisors chose a new member in secret!!
So this morning I looked up info on the County Supervisors.
Here is a link: http://tinyurl.com/18r
On that page it appears to say that people should VOTE for a district representative on the County Supervisors.
It looks to be blatantly illegal for them to have a secret meeting and choose another member of their " in " crowd to join their organization.
These six people basically run Maricopa County.
DavidNichols posted at 8:43 am on Thu, Mar 28, 2013.
Transperancy, or Tyranny?
Fact:
Our Government is out of control, "We the People" are living in an intentional Polution Cloud which is the fallen residue of Chemicals such as Alluminum Oxide, Barrium Oxide, White Aresol, ect.
While we blindly donate for the elusive "Cure", our Government is spraying "The Cause".
These Chemicals are being sprayed in our atmosphere above our natural cloud cover 24/7 the fallen chemical residue is the white haze that you see all around.
After a month or two with no rain this residue builds up on the ground and the first little breeze coming through kicks this white dust up into a mile high wall that has been labeled a "Haboob'.
Below these thousands of spraying Drones are spying Drones disguised as phony airliners, fed-ex, and private aircrafts. These Drones are watching us all with unconstitutional Thermal viewing.
Our Founding Fathers would have lined up every Peeping, Perverted Spying Coward in these Programs in front of a Firing Squad.
Our "Real Troops" fought, and Died to protect our Freedom/Constitution from "Tyrants like these.
To: Liberty/Transperancy?!
chatmandu002 posted at 12:30 pm on Wed, Apr 24, 2013.
Transparency???? Where a top government politico says "We have to pass the law before we can read what's in it" LOL