State, local officials should embrace transparency
This week marks “Sunshine Week,” highlighting the importance of transparency and freedom of information.
Government transparency matters because it guarantees access to information that empowers every citizen to hold government officials accountable for the conduct of the public’s business and the spending of taxpayers’ money. Official accountability to the citizen is the cornerstone of self-government and liberty.
Without transparency, there can be no accountability. And, without accountability, there is no self-government, and “government of the people” becomes government over the people.
Opportunities for government transparency have never been greater. The Internet allows direct, low-cost access to virtually unlimited quantities of documents and data, while an array of telecommunications devices can instantly transmit information to millions of citizens simultaneously.
But for all the power of these technologies, the vast majority of state and local governments fail miserably at transparency.
On March 9, Sunshine Review announced the recipients of the “Sunny Award” to state and local government Web sites scoring a nine or 10 on a 10-point transparency checklist of information about taxes, budgets, contracts, audits, permits and officials’ contact information.
Since its inception in 2008, Sunshine Review has analyzed the Web sites of all 50 states, more than 3,140 counties, 805 cities and 1,560 school districts.
While we applaud the recipients, we hasten to point out the truly stunning truth that we were only able to recognize 39 out of more than 5,000 Web sites Sunshine Review analyzed. Less than 1 percent of state and local government Web sites fully share the information that should be available to every citizen, every taxpayer.
Freedom of Information Act laws do facilitate a degree of citizen scrutiny. But government agencies easily exploit a variety of FOIA loopholes, and even the savviest citizens can be stymied by the convoluted requirements.
The old bureaucratic dodges that transparency is too expensive, too time-consuming, too taxing of government copy machines just don’t hold up in the age of the Internet and social networking.
State and local governments today face unprecedented fiscal challenges and unprecedented opportunities for fundamental reforms. In the coming weeks and months, citizens can forge truly historic change in state and local government by reforming the budget process, privatizing services, and returning professional full-time legislatures and councils to more traditional part-time bodies, among many other worthy initiatives.
Citizen engagement is crucial. Success depends on transparency, accountability and the ability of informed citizens to secure the information they need to participate in reform and hold elected officials accountable.
Long before Google searches, the Founders crafted the Bill of Rights precisely because freedom of information and an informed, engaged citizenry are essential to our form of government.
State and local officials owe their constituents transparency. It’s time to embrace open government fully.
Originally posted at the Washington Examiner
