Tyler Morning Telegraph - Celebration of Open Government At Hand

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Tyler Morning Telegraph - Celebration of Open Government At Hand

Sunshine Week might sound like some kind of recognition of the arrival of spring on Thursday, but it actually is an annual American celebration of open government.

The week of March 16-22, news organizations across the nation join in updating readers on the status of open government and its importance in the effective operation and endurance of a healthy democracy.

Governments and those elected to lead them often seem to have a natural inclination to work in the shadows, conducting the peoples' business behind closed doors. But opening the workings of government to public scrutiny empowers citizens with information needed to hold their elected representatives accountable.

This is an election year and something that every citizen should be interested in knowing about all declared candidates is where they stand on open government. Having access at every level of government from Washington, D.C., to the city hall or county building and all the rest is of critical importance.

Open government always is an important election issue for concerned citizens in every race from top federal offices to the precinct contests. Those elected will be charged with conducting the peoples' business, and the people have a right to know all about how the job is being done, plus a responsibility to monitor the process.

Open meetings, open records and a full revelation of the decision- making process are essential to producing good government and having an informed public that can provide significant input for a progressive and productive agenda.

Much Sunshine Week emphasis is centered on the federal government where there likely is the greatest room for improvement. The vastness of the operation makes it difficult to monitor the overall level of openness.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas has worked diligently to introduce more openness at the federal government level, and he recently announced a new effort to shine more light on federal spending. He also was instrumental in enactment last year of the first changes in the federal Freedom of Information Act in more than a decade.

Cornyn moved to introduce legislation in the Senate this year to focus more sunshine on government spending with the so-called Federal Spending and Taxpayer Accessibility Act of 2008. He said it is based on what Texas Comptroller Susan Combs has done as comptroller in Texas.

His bill would expand a searchable database of federal grants and contracts. When fully up and running, taxpayers will be able to use the Internet to search how much the federal government is spending on everything from staff salaries to travel expenses, Cornyn's aides said.

Texans can be proud their state has some of the most effective open government laws in the nation. It is a tribute to the concern and interest citizens have expressed, and persistent efforts of freedom of information groups, that those regulations were adopted. They have been consistently enforced and frequently improved through the years.

"It's because of the work of Texans such as Comptroller Combs and Texas' Freedom of Information Foundation that Texas has earned a reputation as one of the most open state governments in the nation," Cornyn said. "In the U.S. Senate, I have made it a priority to bring this same Texas Sunshine to the federal government.

That reputation has been earned over the years with a lot of people contributing to the effort. Present Attorney General Gregg Abbott is a staunch supporter of open government laws and has advanced efforts to educate newly elected local officials on their requirements.

Interest and concern on the part of the public certainly has been a key element in effective legislation being adopted, and continuing to add improvements.

Sunshine Week is a good time for citizens to take pride in what has been accomplished in Texas to protect the public's right to know.

Just as important, it is an occasion to remind everyone that establishing sunshine laws is just part of the battle. The struggle to maintain and strengthen established standards that keep government meetings and records in public view is ongoing, but well worth the effort.

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