If you’ve been watching what goes on in Washington and some statehouses across the country, you might wonder if there’s any issue that everyone should be able to agree on whether they are conservative or liberal or libertarian, Democrat or Republican, pro-this or anti-that.
There is: It’s the need for transparency in all levels of government.
[…]
Read More… from Access to information should be a common goal
This week, national media, in cooperation with the First Amendment Foundation, is promoting citizen access to, and transparency in government.
This is Sunshine Week. At a time when distrust of government — local, state and national — appears to be at an all-time high, transparency and accountability has never been more important. This week, that importance to our participatory democracy is being recognized through Saturday.
[…]
This is Sunshine Week, a time to promote transparency in government. An AP analysis found that the Obama administration, which came into office promising to be the most transparent ever, has become more secretive.
[…]
Read More… from California needs better election data transparency, report says
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today honored Sunshine Week by issuing a one-year report on Open NY, an initiative aimed at increasing citizens' engagement with their government, and encouraging New Yorkers to visit the State's comprehensive data transparency website, Data.NY.Gov. The Open NY One-Year Report, which reviews accomplishments and sets the stage for the future of the initiative, is available on Data.NY.Gov.
[…]
Read More… from Governor Cuomo Highlights Open NY for Sunshine Week
Government officials in Oregon have been fully transparent about just five of the state’s 19 economic-development subsidies, despite required reporting laws, shows an annual study released Tuesday.
The 14 other incentives either lacked required information or disclosed none at all, according to the Portland-based OSPIRG Foundation.
The report did acknowledge that the handful of programs with the most public details are among the most heavily tapped. They account for nearly two-thirds of Oregon’s $671 million in subsidy spending.
[…]
Adam Andrzejewski offers a pithy formula for government transparency in a society becoming less and less free.
“Every dime, online, in real time.”
That’s the mantra of Andrzejewski’s openthebooks.com, a project of American Transparency, a 501(c)3 nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. The website’s goal is to track all spending from federal, state and local governments across the United States.
[…]
Read More… from Audit of state, local websites reveals government secrecy a growing problem
Gov. Mike Pence announced Monday the state is developing a data analytics tool for use by state agencies that could help increase the efficiency and effectiveness of state government.
The tool will be especially useful on issues that involve multiple agencies such as infant mortality and child fatality, public safety, and economic development.
[…]
Openness in government is not a liberal, conservative, Republican, Democrat, Independent, TEA party or Libertarian issue. The importance of transparency in local, state and federal government should transcend parties and political ideologies.
Checks and balances provide few checks and little balance when officials broker deals behind closed doors and conceal documents that contain important information that citizens have the right, and often the need, to know.
[…]
Read More… from Guest View: Transparency not Republican, not Democrat
This week is Sunshine Week, which makes it an ideal time to reiterate the importance of open government and why my office is diligently working to improve government transparency and accountability. Since taking office, I have been committed to building upon Florida’s Sunshine Law and seeking new ways to promote openness.
[…]
Read More… from Editorial: Accountability for state contracts, grants necessary
A spokeswoman for Gov. Paul LePage says the administration is reviewing state policies to determine whether to ban the use of secret messaging systems, which could enable state officials to circumvent public records law.
The scrutiny follows testimony Friday by a former employee of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, who told the Legislature's Government Oversight Committee that supervisors had instructed her to conduct state business with an untraceable messaging feature on her state-issued BlackBerry.
[…]
Read More… from Maine government scrutinizes official use of secret messaging system
