I spent some more time on the Sunshine Review site mentioned in my last blog and found an interesting area where news is provided that relates to open government and the FOIA: The Sunshine Review – The Bad News. Again, this is a work in progress to which anyone with computer access can contribute. Even though this first page of the section deals with national issues, Bedford County School System seems to be the hottest topic around.
At the bottom of the page, you’ll find a list of states and by clicking on Virginia, you will be taken to a list of the myriad of issues related to government accountability within the State of Virginia. Although labeled The Bad News (and there is a lot of that covered), you can also find some bright spots like this Jan. 17, 2009 entry:
Secrecy breeds distrust
“The most refreshing change in Franklin city government over the past six months has been the City Council’s emphasis on openness, transparency and accessibility.
That collective spirit has begun to restore the broken trust between citizens and City Hall that manifest itself in the May election, when two newcomers running on a platform of greater citizen involvement scored runaway victories.
The City Council’s challenge now is to demonstrate that openness is an ongoing commitment, not an election-year show.”
I will end on that note and hope that more such reports will be found in the future. “Broken Trust” is a long festering wound throughout all levels of government. It will take time to restore. YOU can help speed the process by being an active participant in government. Good government merely begins in the voting booth. Like a garden, it must be carefully tended to be productive. Plant those seeds in the voting booth, but then be prepared to follow through with monitoring and intervening when necessary to grow a good, healthy, and responsive government.
