Government transparency
Opinion: Public matters can't hide behind law
April 03, 2010 |
Pennsylvania, with its woefully corrupt state
Legislature and untold units of local government
that also are no strangers to corruption, needs
an effective Sunshine Law more so than most other
states. Read
More...
Opinion: Clouding up Sunshine Law
March 22, 2010 |
The "good old boys (and girls)" in Harrisburg are
covering each other's butts again. We aren't
supposed to notice, because a House-passed bill
imposes higher fines for violating the
open-meetings "Sunshine Act." That's all we are
supposed to notice: Higher fines. But the House,
which is in bed with school directors and teacher
unions, tacked on a provision allowing secretive
closed meetings for "safety and security"
reasons.
Read More...
Read More...
Opinion: Bill puts open meetings in peril
March 21, 2010 |
The devil is in the details and, if you're the
pessimistic type, you can find Lucifer's
fingerprints all over a small item in legislation
passed by the state House five days ago.
Read
More...
Opinion: Citizens have duty to monitor government
March 14, 2010 |
Today marks the beginning of Sunshine Week, a
celebration of open government — and an
exhortation to demand it ceaselessly. Open
government is a core principle of our American
form of democracy. Government employees — both
elected officials and non-elected workers — are
directly accountable to the people. In a
citizens' government, citizens and the press are
the watchdogs, making sure officials remain
accountable to the people. Keeping access open to
officials and to public documents is essential if
citizens are to maintain their freedom.
Read More...
Read More...
Troopers criticized over withholding
February 25, 2010 |
HARRISBURG - A new Pennsylvania State Police
policy requires troopers to withhold names and
other information about victims and witnesses
when they issue citations for certain minor
crimes - drawing criticism from open-government
advocates and raising concern among judges and
defense lawyers. Read
More...