Opinion: McConnell scores zero in transparency analysis
Let's leave aside whether Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's campaign should be barring the editor of LEO Weekly, or any reporter, from a press event and look at a broader issue. Saturday marks the end of Sunshine Week, a time when open-government advocacy groups reinforce the importance of public access to information. And that reminded me of an assessment this year from GovTrack.us that showed congressional support for transparency in all things is relative. read more ...
Guest View: Technology, the key to transparency in government
The Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association and its leader, Robert Ambrogi, deserve our thanks for their fight to open more of our state and local government to public inspection ("Guest View: A ray of hope for the Public Records Law," March 18). Government works best when it's most transparent. I have been proud to have joined Bob and the MNPA, Common Cause, MASSPIRG and others in that fight. While we have won several important victories, there remains much to accomplish. read more ...
Our View: Flunking the open legislature test
Massachusetts takes pride in liberal politics and technological prowess. But when it comes to government transparency and using technology to connect citizens with government, Beacon Hill has nothing to be proud of. The state has had terrible diffi ...
Editorial: No time limits on call for open government
Sunshine Week, a push for transparency in government, is drawing to a close. And that's why we choose to highlight it at its end. The demand for open government must not be reserved to a limited time frame. Indeed, it must be an all-day, every day effort — and not just on the part of media, though we are the ones who champion it. read more ...
Editorial: SW Colorado governments show improved attention to transparency
From The Durango Herald: In observance of Sunshine Week, The Durango Herald and the Cortez Journal tested local government agencies’ understanding of and commitment to their legal responsibility under the Colorado Open Records Act. Local residents should be pleased there were few problems and a generally improved climate of transparency. Sunshine Week is a national initiative to promote open government and freedom of information. As part of its annual observation, March 16-22 this year, reporters were sent to government offices they do not typically cover and instructed to ask for a copy of the employment contracts of certain agency heads ...
Sky-Hi News grades Grand County, towns in first Sunshine audit
From Sky-Hi News (Grand County): What makes government transparent? That answer involves many, many layers of case law, legislation, expectation, ideology, opinion, awareness and even attitude — too many layers, in fact, to deliberate here. In essence, it’s how expensive fees are for obtaining records, or how well minutes are recorded and kept, or how populated websites are with information, or how emails are exchanged among government officials, or how they conduct business in private, and everything in between. Transparency, or the lack of it, includes what isn’t recorded, or what may be hidden from our view. It wasn’t easy, ...
Part 3 Des Moines Investigation: Iowa’s secret settlements to be discussed in closed meetings
Gov. Terry Branstad’s work group in charge of investigating secret settlements to former state employees has already formed — and plans to meet behind closed doors, the governor’s spokesman said Tuesday. Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds anno ...
City of Jax website, most transparent in Florida
Mayor Alvin Brown says he's beefing up the city's website to put more information about city government at the fingertips of citizens. Earlier this week, the City of Jacksonville was recognized by the First Amendment Foundation for having the most transparent city website in Florida. Meanwhile, on Thursday, Brown announced the launch of www.coj.net/transparency. read more ...
