It’s sunny and 75 outside my room at the Austin Motel. This is much better.
Propublica is an investigative site that does a pretty good mainstream media take on news. You’ll find some half-baked liberal slant and much reverence for all things Democrat. But I was pleased to see the posting of the Obama team’s financials.
It turns that that you, too, can request these things via the Web. For House members, go here and for White House appointees, head here. Wouldn't it be something if Michigan, in its love for openness and transparency, made it this easy?
Showing posts with label sunshine laws. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sunshine laws. Show all posts
Monday, April 13, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
More on Sunshine Week: National Roundup
We’ve said that Michigan feels like a laggard in terms of public records and transparency. We’ve even got four counties that have absolutely no online presence, which is at least a start. But according to a new report from the Associated Press, Michigan fares pretty well against its peers in terms of records posted online. The state is actually doing well, we have noticed, if one wants to take the time to dig into its many sites. But most folks don’t have the time or inclination to do that digging, leaving it to folks like us to help them. There should be an office, not related to the government, that would gather the information, put it into a simple form, and post it on a regular basis. Newspapers no longer allow a staff the time or resources to do this. Any ideas how to get this done?
The story that accompanies the graphic above does a fair job of giving the state of open records today. There are plenty of Sunday op-eds and stories on the issue to celebrate Sunshine Week (which we believe should be every week).
The Arizona Republic reports on its state’s high rating in terms of online accessibility while the Oklahoman decries the failure of some of its cities in online open records access. In Louisiana, it was found that Gov. Bobby Jindal isn’t very transparent even after all his campaign promises.
In Jackson, Mississippi, the alternative weekly Jackson Free Press calls it right, taking Jackson’s paper of record, the Gannett-owned Clarion-Ledger to task for its flaccid reporting and lack of knowledge of the state’s Sunshine laws.
Support of this open government is not a gutsy call for news organizations; it’s kind of like being against poverty. We’re all against, it. What are you going to do about it? We don’t recall any of these major corporations that now own most newspapers hiring lobbyists to advocate for better, more complete open records access and enforcement. Gannett had revenue last year of $6.7 billion. Scripps a paltry $1 billion. And astute Reuters tech and media editor Tiffany Wu posits that NBC Universal could be worth $30 billion. And none can spare some cash to advocate for open government, other than to push out some tepid, rote editorials that may or may not resonate with their dwindling readership.
We say the good money is on a new form of journalism that focuses on openness and spends more time chasing down records, bothering public officials and doing the investigations that news agencies forgot about as they chase the bottom line. Watch this space for more developments on that.
The story that accompanies the graphic above does a fair job of giving the state of open records today. There are plenty of Sunday op-eds and stories on the issue to celebrate Sunshine Week (which we believe should be every week).
The Arizona Republic reports on its state’s high rating in terms of online accessibility while the Oklahoman decries the failure of some of its cities in online open records access. In Louisiana, it was found that Gov. Bobby Jindal isn’t very transparent even after all his campaign promises.
In Jackson, Mississippi, the alternative weekly Jackson Free Press calls it right, taking Jackson’s paper of record, the Gannett-owned Clarion-Ledger to task for its flaccid reporting and lack of knowledge of the state’s Sunshine laws.
Support of this open government is not a gutsy call for news organizations; it’s kind of like being against poverty. We’re all against, it. What are you going to do about it? We don’t recall any of these major corporations that now own most newspapers hiring lobbyists to advocate for better, more complete open records access and enforcement. Gannett had revenue last year of $6.7 billion. Scripps a paltry $1 billion. And astute Reuters tech and media editor Tiffany Wu posits that NBC Universal could be worth $30 billion. And none can spare some cash to advocate for open government, other than to push out some tepid, rote editorials that may or may not resonate with their dwindling readership.
We say the good money is on a new form of journalism that focuses on openness and spends more time chasing down records, bothering public officials and doing the investigations that news agencies forgot about as they chase the bottom line. Watch this space for more developments on that.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Lack of Sunshine Hurts Police in Drug Raid Shooting
The secrecy with which local law enforcement operates in Michigan is darker than in most states. There are many stories of agencies refusing simple in-person inspection requests as well as cases of intimidation, a lack of knowledge of open records laws and outright refusal to comply.
In the shooting of a Grand Valley State University student
this week, the agency would be well-served by release of the search warrant. This would tell of any search for possible weapons and, in some cases, whether the suspect was determined to be of any danger. We are all for law enforcement’s right to defend itself and to pursue the law in the best way possible. At FreeMichigan, we’re always willing to give these officers a fair shake. And they are fighting a tough war against some unseemly characters.
We are not sure these unseemly characters reside at this apartment complex at GVSU. But maybe there was some deep, dark drug offender lurking in there that needed to be taken out. Don’t we have the right to know, now that the shooting is over? Now the investigation begins, granted, but police agencies in Michigan have long shrouded themselves in darkness, causing bad situations to become worse.
For these agencies, keeping the public away is considered the best policy. It creates a distrust for a group of people who should instead be respected.
The officer who shot the suspect is part of the West Michigan Enforcement Team. The team, a consortium of various law enforcement agencies, was the subject of this piece in December.
Below is a look at the enforcement team’s budget for 2007. We should not have to wonder what exactly these officers were looking for and why they determined a violent threat in that apartment. Most likely, this will be settled out of court with a fat payment to the family of the shooting victim and the public will never know what happened. Unless someone decides to really push it.
West Michigan Enforcement Team
In the shooting of a Grand Valley State University student
this week, the agency would be well-served by release of the search warrant. This would tell of any search for possible weapons and, in some cases, whether the suspect was determined to be of any danger. We are all for law enforcement’s right to defend itself and to pursue the law in the best way possible. At FreeMichigan, we’re always willing to give these officers a fair shake. And they are fighting a tough war against some unseemly characters.
We are not sure these unseemly characters reside at this apartment complex at GVSU. But maybe there was some deep, dark drug offender lurking in there that needed to be taken out. Don’t we have the right to know, now that the shooting is over? Now the investigation begins, granted, but police agencies in Michigan have long shrouded themselves in darkness, causing bad situations to become worse.
For these agencies, keeping the public away is considered the best policy. It creates a distrust for a group of people who should instead be respected.
The officer who shot the suspect is part of the West Michigan Enforcement Team. The team, a consortium of various law enforcement agencies, was the subject of this piece in December.
Below is a look at the enforcement team’s budget for 2007. We should not have to wonder what exactly these officers were looking for and why they determined a violent threat in that apartment. Most likely, this will be settled out of court with a fat payment to the family of the shooting victim and the public will never know what happened. Unless someone decides to really push it.
West Michigan Enforcement Team
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Traverse City School Leaders Negotiate with Union in the Dark
School administrators in Traverse City refuse to discuss the issues that are holding up a contract with teachers, again tromping on the rights of the people to know.
Taxpayers pay for the district's salaries and benefits, which make up more than 86 percent of [the Traverse City Area Public School district's] general fund expenses.
It is a pathetic bit of darkness that shows the lack of respect that public school officials have for their customers. Refusing to inform those customers of the issues should send these parents looking for an alternative. Are there raises on the table?
James Feil, the superintendent, of the school district, claims in a message on the district Web site:
We invite you to become fully involved in the educational journey of your student and our community’s youth – as a parent, volunteer, mentor, booster, and community supporter of our public schools.
Involved as long as you don't want to know too much, apparently. This is disingenuous at best.
Here is a list of the phone numbers of the school board. They should be called and asked for negotiation information.
It’s also hard to stomach this comment from Don Hakala, who is with the local MEA chapter.
"We're trying to bargain, and we're trying to get a fair and equitable contract."
If it were actually fair and equitable, we are sure that Hakala, who is paid $136,587 a year, would want us to know what it is. As would the Traverse City school administrators.
Here is a list of MEA salaries, just for future reference.
MEA Salaries
Taxpayers pay for the district's salaries and benefits, which make up more than 86 percent of [the Traverse City Area Public School district's] general fund expenses.
It is a pathetic bit of darkness that shows the lack of respect that public school officials have for their customers. Refusing to inform those customers of the issues should send these parents looking for an alternative. Are there raises on the table?
James Feil, the superintendent, of the school district, claims in a message on the district Web site:
We invite you to become fully involved in the educational journey of your student and our community’s youth – as a parent, volunteer, mentor, booster, and community supporter of our public schools.
Involved as long as you don't want to know too much, apparently. This is disingenuous at best.
Here is a list of the phone numbers of the school board. They should be called and asked for negotiation information.
It’s also hard to stomach this comment from Don Hakala, who is with the local MEA chapter.
"We're trying to bargain, and we're trying to get a fair and equitable contract."
If it were actually fair and equitable, we are sure that Hakala, who is paid $136,587 a year, would want us to know what it is. As would the Traverse City school administrators.
Here is a list of MEA salaries, just for future reference.
MEA Salaries
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
