Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Secrecy is no Friend to the Public, but a Tool to Circumvent the Public

   When laws are being made, you are bidding the public's business. So, why not do it in public? And, if you think I refer only to the legislative sessions, oh!, you sell this idea short.
   Keep the legislative sessions open, most every minute. Indeed. Of course. For sure. But, I mean meetings with lobbyists. I mean, every time a lobbyist steps a foot in your door, you, the legislator, pull out the microphone . . .
   And, record it, live on the Internet.
   We live in a wonderful world. Never in the past has such a thing been possible. Only in the last few years has such a thing been plausible. And, now that it is, we should do it. We should take advantage of technology to bring openness to government.
   I would not make it law that every time a person meets with a legislator to discuss legislation, it be mandatory that it be placed online. But, I would make it law that every time a person meets with a legislator, the legislator be encouraged to place it online. To make it mandatory would be oppressive. It would make it illegal to run into someone and discuss legislation. Besides, if the legislator is going to meet with the lobbyist off the record, he or she is going to do it.
   But, if you make a matter of being the correct practice to hold no private meetings, to do nothing behind closed doors, you set a standard that throws the system open to the public. This will be well enough.
  Government is the public's business, so why not invite the people to come in, sit down, and listen to everything you say? Lobbyists shouldn't be left to play in back rooms; Their doings should be in the light of day.Secrecy is not a friend of the public. but a tool of those who seek to circumvent the public.
  So, were I a lawmaker, would I call for such a law, a law that brings such radical openness to government? We have some openness, but this would be unprecedented. I would think about it. I would consider on whether such legislation were wise and such practice good.
   But, as I think on it at the moment, yes, I think though it be a drastic change in how we conduct our business as a government, this would be a good change.

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