We're number! We're number 40!
I
have mentioned in several postings that our state leaders are
closing the door on openess in government actions.
P.H.
The
following is exerped from the Toledo Blade newpaper.
A new year-long study by the Better Government Association, a nonpartisan watchdog group, ranks Ohio 40th among the states on its “integrity index.” The BGA bases its ratings on the effectiveness of each state’s sunshine laws in four areas: Open meetings, open records, whistle-blower protection, and official conflicts of interest.
…........
Emily Miller, the BGA’s policy and government affairs coordinator,
observes that transparency is essential to combating political
corruption. “You deserve to know how your money is being spent —
that’s a basic democratic right.
The state’s
open-records law is somewhat better, but still mediocre. There is no
explicit appeals process, much less an expedited one, when requests
are denied. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has a system to mediate
records disputes, but it’s voluntary and limited. Otherwise, a
citizen has to take the government to court.
A new state
law makes it easier for local governments in Ohio to meet secretly to
cut “economic development” deals with private interests.
JobsOhio, the private corporation that effectively replaced the state
Department of Development, spends lots of public money with little
accountability.
Paul Hunter
paulhunter45177@gmail.com
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