Opinion: Robbins spearheads effort to limit public information
OPINION
The [Sharon] Herald
The Pennsylvania General Assembly took a major step last year in passing open records laws that give the public more access to government maneuvering. Now state Sen. Bob Robbins is working to make it more secretive.
Robbins, who represents Mercer County, has introduced a bill that would allow local government units to replace newspaper publication of their public notices with posting on a commonwealth-sponsored Web site. And it is now moving rapidly toward a vote.
If it weren’t so dangerous, it would almost be laughable. In reality it will allow various government groups to conduct meetings and offer contracts to their friends almost in secret.
Is Robbins so out of touch with our local community that he doesn’t realize that many of the large number of senior citizens in Mercer County don’t have computers or Internet? Even among people who do use the Internet, how many have ever gone to a government site?
The reason our forefathers required posting of public notices in newspapers is that they circulate among the people and provide the best exposure. That’s still true. The Herald for example, is read by more than 50,000 people a day.
When public notices are posted, they are at the fingertips of every reader. Readers like you who are already keeping up with local news and sports information don’t have to find time to logon to some government Web site in hopes of stumbling upon a possible meeting in your community where raising
your taxes will be discussed.
Robbins claims that it will save municipalities money. Really? Surveys done in various municipalities across the state, including some locally, found that many spend less than one-half of one-percent of their annual operating expenses on public notices.
And just who is going to pay the cost of a government-run, secure, permanent public-notices Web site?
In fact, newspapers already have an easily searchable Web site for public notices at www.mypublicnotices.com.
Robbins’ bill, if it passes, will hurt newspapers, certainly. More people will lose their jobs and those people pay taxes and live in the municipalities that pay for public notices.
When municipalities buy public-notice advertising they allow newspapers more space to provide free services such as helping police by posting descriptions of criminals, directions for motorists during parades or road work, and testing of tornado warning sirens.
But even more it will hurt the public. But obviously that doesn’t bother Robbins.
Allowing governments to post public notices on Web sites pits government against private enterprise and amounts to telling the fox to build and watch the henhouse.
The [Sharon] Herald
The Pennsylvania General Assembly took a major step last year in passing open records laws that give the public more access to government maneuvering. Now state Sen. Bob Robbins is working to make it more secretive.
Robbins, who represents Mercer County, has introduced a bill that would allow local government units to replace newspaper publication of their public notices with posting on a commonwealth-sponsored Web site. And it is now moving rapidly toward a vote.
If it weren’t so dangerous, it would almost be laughable. In reality it will allow various government groups to conduct meetings and offer contracts to their friends almost in secret.
Is Robbins so out of touch with our local community that he doesn’t realize that many of the large number of senior citizens in Mercer County don’t have computers or Internet? Even among people who do use the Internet, how many have ever gone to a government site?
The reason our forefathers required posting of public notices in newspapers is that they circulate among the people and provide the best exposure. That’s still true. The Herald for example, is read by more than 50,000 people a day.
When public notices are posted, they are at the fingertips of every reader. Readers like you who are already keeping up with local news and sports information don’t have to find time to logon to some government Web site in hopes of stumbling upon a possible meeting in your community where raising
your taxes will be discussed.
Robbins claims that it will save municipalities money. Really? Surveys done in various municipalities across the state, including some locally, found that many spend less than one-half of one-percent of their annual operating expenses on public notices.
And just who is going to pay the cost of a government-run, secure, permanent public-notices Web site?
In fact, newspapers already have an easily searchable Web site for public notices at www.mypublicnotices.com.
Robbins’ bill, if it passes, will hurt newspapers, certainly. More people will lose their jobs and those people pay taxes and live in the municipalities that pay for public notices.
When municipalities buy public-notice advertising they allow newspapers more space to provide free services such as helping police by posting descriptions of criminals, directions for motorists during parades or road work, and testing of tornado warning sirens.
But even more it will hurt the public. But obviously that doesn’t bother Robbins.
Allowing governments to post public notices on Web sites pits government against private enterprise and amounts to telling the fox to build and watch the henhouse.
