Sunshine Week, which began Sunday, is an annual observance focusing attention on the openness (or lack thereof) of government, sponsored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors.
And, honestly, the push for transparency in government is a cause close to the heart of all journalists. However, transparent government is a keystone in the very structure of democracy. No more so than now. The Internet, social networking and blogs makes it much easier for all Americans to directly engage in political commentary and debate. It would be nice if that discourse were informed by substantiated facts, rather than fueled by distortions from the echo chamber of half-truths that originated who-knows-where?
The push for open records received a substantial boost in Pennsylvania in 2009 when the commonwealth’s open records law was turned on its head. In the bad old days, government records were only considered public if statutes explicitly described them as open for review. An overhaul of the open records law — emboldened by voter disgust over corruption and backroom-dealing in Harrisburg — reversed the policy. The tide has turned, but the struggle is far from won. Government agencies seem to have an innate bias against communicating with the people who pay the bills. Because it is your money, they work for you. Nationally, when the Obama Administration swept into office, the president pledged a new era of openness. An audit released this week shows that bureaucrats unaccustomed to transparency have not always embraced the change.
Fewer than a third of the 90 federal agencies that process requests for information have made significant changes in their practices since Obama’s initial orders, the report said.
The formula is simple: Transparency equals accountability. Yvonne Morgan, of Lewisburg, understood this when she employed Pennsylvania’s revamped Open Records Law to obtain e-mails between Union County commissioners discussing a proposal for the county to assume control of a rail-trail project.
The county scuttled any plans for a rail-trail takeover after Morgan brought the discussions to light.
The message her success conveys to elected officials may be just as important — the public is watching and empowered.
Editorials
Shining a light on government
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Too much of a good thing?
NetSummary
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Santorum's message starting to resonate
The success of U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum this week in Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri suggests he may be the candidate who can provide a serious challenge to Romney in the race for the nomination. Mitt Romney has repeatedly failed to solidify his position as front-runner or to sufficiently energize the conservative base of the GOP.
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Rush to merge needs explanation
Previously, Northumberland had its sewer plant and Point Township was a customer of that plant. There would seem to be pretty clear advantages for Point Township to make the jump from customer to partner.
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Measuring success of merged force
The justification for merging the police departments of East Buffalo Township and Lewisburg seems clear, but officials must carefully measure progress to make sure the combined police department is measuring up.
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When zealots take the wheel
Twice last week, we saw a groundswell of everyday democracy reject the incursion of polarizing politics into the health and well being of ordinary Americans. In both instances, mainstream media, social media and religious networks mobilized such a broad swath of the American people that it was clear we can unify across all kinds of boundaries when fundamental beliefs are challenged by ideologues.
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Cheers and jeers
Cheers: To Kathy Keiper, of Sunbury, will be honored as Sunbury's Citizen of the Year by the Rotary Club next month. Keiper was selected for her long service as a volunteer at the Sunbury YMCA and at Nottingham Village near Northumberland.
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Hynoski's super rookie season
The (Southern Columbia) Tigers also are set to unleash freshman Henry Hynoski, who is already listed at 6 feet and 200 pounds, and is being talked about as the same type of impact player in the program as Jerry Marks and Ricco Rosini were.
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Too much of a good thing?
