Open government is good government

Star News

Editorials

Did you hear what happened at the last town board meeting? What supervisors got up to at that one county committee meeting? Or about what the village is paying for that new road project? How about that deal for an upcoming development project?

Investigative reporter and author Bob Woodward popularized the quote “Democracy dies in darkness,” during a 2015 book tour. The quote has quickly been adopted as a battle cry against the creeping abuse of power and corruption that occurs at all levels of government when the public is busy paying attention to other things or simply kept in the dark.

It is Sunshine Week in America. It is the annual time of year to remind elected officials that they serve at the pleasure of the people and are not there to look out for their own self interests.

Core in this year’s message is the open government is good government. This reflects the fundamental truth that transparency and accountability are at the heart of good government at all levels from the town board to the county courthouse and from the statehouse to the white house.

That said, good government, like so many other things, begins in our own homes. Individuals must fulfill their part of the bargain and stay engaged and informed. It is much easier to pull a fast one on constituents if no one is paying attention.

Key in staying engaged is knowing your rights to get access to virtually all government records and documents upon request. With the exception of some personal information, or files related to ongoing criminal investigations, government documents and data is there for any person to view. The right to access this information is enshrined in state law.

“It is imperative that we recognize that transparency is the cornerstone of democracy and that citizens cannot hold elected officials accountable in a representative government unless government is performed in the open,” states the opening of the Wisconsin Department of Justice handbook on how to access public records.

Sunshine Week is a reminder that government records and information are the people’s records and should be available for anyone who asks.

It is Sunshine Week in America. It is a time for all of us to turn over the proverbial rocks on the garden path and see what scurries away from the light of day. It is the time for Americans to be reminded that not only do they have a right to question the actions of their elected leaders, but an obligation to remain informed and engaged so that government may work to serve the needs of all, rather than lining the pockets of a few.