Opinion: Records proposal was a shame
April 19, 2009
OPINION
The York Sunday News
York Township Commissioner Paul Knepper seems to have gone on a paternalistic rampage at last week's meeting.
At one point Tuesday, he held up an Alcoholics Anonymous book to chastise a proposal that would allow alcohol to be served at the refurbished Queensgate cinema.
At another point, he proposed shaming people who ask the township for public documents by posting their names on the municipality's Web site.
Think of it as the modern-day equivalent of the Scarlet letter -- A for adulteress.
In this case, perhaps it could be B for Busybody.
Or how about C for Citizen?
Because, you see, that's what good citizens do.
They pay attention. They attend municipal meetings. They act as watchdogs -- the checks and balances our founders built into our democratic republic.
If they have a question or are concerned about how their tax dollars are being spent, they ask to look at government documents.
Too often, though, when C for Citizens do their jobs, they're looked at as troublemakers.
How dare they question the wisdom of the town fathers? Don't they know that father knows best? No need to snoop around in public records. We have things under control. Your snooping is a pain in our neck. Quick, let's find a way to dissuade it. Paint the public records requesters as agitators who are upsetting the public tranquility -- and worse, costing other taxpayers money to comply with records requests.
Can't put them in the stocks like in the days of Hester Prynne. But we can embarrass them in public by listing their names as if they were sewer bill scofflaws.
This paternalistic attitude is paradoxical in a place like York County, which is moderately conservative and not exactly pro-government. You'd think the attitude would be keep government -- even little municipal government -- out of people's hair.
And yet many people tolerate secretive boroughs and townships that are run like they're the personal fiefdoms of council members.
Well, thank goodness, times are changing.
The state has a new Right-to-Know Law that defines most records as public.
Many officials don't like it, but they'll have to adjust.
They'll have to stop spending money to keep the C for Citizens from the records that the T for Taxpayers have paid to compile.
Perhaps officials in York Township will have to explain why they paid their law firm $2,000 in February to deal with Right-to-Know issues rather than simply hand over the records that were requested.
Those C for Citizens will not be Cajoled or Cowed.
The Paul Kneppers of the world are losing sway.
In fact, his C for Colleagues voted 4-1 to table his misguided public records proposal.
The York Sunday News
York Township Commissioner Paul Knepper seems to have gone on a paternalistic rampage at last week's meeting.
At one point Tuesday, he held up an Alcoholics Anonymous book to chastise a proposal that would allow alcohol to be served at the refurbished Queensgate cinema.
At another point, he proposed shaming people who ask the township for public documents by posting their names on the municipality's Web site.
Think of it as the modern-day equivalent of the Scarlet letter -- A for adulteress.
In this case, perhaps it could be B for Busybody.
Or how about C for Citizen?
Because, you see, that's what good citizens do.
They pay attention. They attend municipal meetings. They act as watchdogs -- the checks and balances our founders built into our democratic republic.
If they have a question or are concerned about how their tax dollars are being spent, they ask to look at government documents.
Too often, though, when C for Citizens do their jobs, they're looked at as troublemakers.
How dare they question the wisdom of the town fathers? Don't they know that father knows best? No need to snoop around in public records. We have things under control. Your snooping is a pain in our neck. Quick, let's find a way to dissuade it. Paint the public records requesters as agitators who are upsetting the public tranquility -- and worse, costing other taxpayers money to comply with records requests.
Can't put them in the stocks like in the days of Hester Prynne. But we can embarrass them in public by listing their names as if they were sewer bill scofflaws.
This paternalistic attitude is paradoxical in a place like York County, which is moderately conservative and not exactly pro-government. You'd think the attitude would be keep government -- even little municipal government -- out of people's hair.
And yet many people tolerate secretive boroughs and townships that are run like they're the personal fiefdoms of council members.
Well, thank goodness, times are changing.
The state has a new Right-to-Know Law that defines most records as public.
Many officials don't like it, but they'll have to adjust.
They'll have to stop spending money to keep the C for Citizens from the records that the T for Taxpayers have paid to compile.
Perhaps officials in York Township will have to explain why they paid their law firm $2,000 in February to deal with Right-to-Know issues rather than simply hand over the records that were requested.
Those C for Citizens will not be Cajoled or Cowed.
The Paul Kneppers of the world are losing sway.
In fact, his C for Colleagues voted 4-1 to table his misguided public records proposal.
