Advocates of openness in local, state and federal government are celebrating Sunshine Week by applauding President Obama’s reversal of the Bush administration’s executive order directing all federal agencies to resist most Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests for government information and documents.
Not only did the president wipe out the former administration’s penchant for secrecy, he took the additional step of requiring federal agencies to furnish definite plans to implement a more open and transparent government within 120 days.
Sunshine Week is a national initiative to open dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. FOIA became law in 1966 only after years of bitter fighting to make government more transparent.
Even with the existence of FOIA, the need for vigilance continues as the dark years of the Bush administration illustrate.
As far as openness in state government is concerned, the Sunshine Week Survey found good and bad news. Most of the important information is being left offline and unaccessible to the public. Some states are even charging taxpayers for access to records they have in essence already paid for.
In Louisiana for example, important information about inspection reports of our aging and deteriorating bridges is unavailable. When contacted about the issue, the LA DOTD advised they “had a problem with the legality of it”.
We should support efforts at all levels of government, federal, state and local to make public servants accountable to us, the taxpayers. FOIA and other mechanisms of bringing governmental, corporate and manufacturing secrets to the light of day should be championed.
The litany of corporate and governmental misdeeds made public by the scrutiny of taxpayers, ordinary citizens and concerned journalists could be listed infinitum. Defective medical devices and drugs approved for sale to the unsuspecting public, dangerous toys allowed to be sold to our children, insider deals costing taxpayers millions, corporate greed manipulating loopholes and tainted food on our grocery shelves are just a few examples of former secrets brought to public notice after it was too late for some unsuspecting victims.
If we don’t remain vigilant and resist all attempts by governments, corporations and manufacturers to retreat behind a veil of secrecy, we will only be victimized again and again.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
