Road To Good Government

Corruption festers in the dark.

It is only by shining the brightest of lights on our elected leaders and public officials — from the smallest library and school boards, to the massive institutions that make up the federal government — that the temptation is checked to do things in secret, either for personal benefit or out of a warped and arrogant belief that the public would only get in the way.

An open and transparent government is critical to eliminate even the appearance of malfeasance.

And yet, too often, efforts by journalists and watchdogs to gain access to public information is met with resistance by those in power. Requests for information under the Freedom of Information Law are routinely fought against or denied. Sometimes, they’re just flat ignored, with little consequence.

This week, March 13 to 19, is Sunshine Week, an annual initiative by the News Leaders Association, formerly the American Society of News Editors, to promote open government. The organization’s motto, “Open government is good government,” speaks to the simple but weighty thinking behind the effort.

During the week, news organizations are encouraged to submit stories, editorials, columns, cartoons and graphics highlighting the importance of open government. Civic groups, at the same time, are asked to organize local forums and to press elected officials to pass proclamations on the importance of open access. Educators are asked to teach students about how government transparency improves society and makes communities stronger. And, finally, elected officials are asked to pass resolutions supporting openness, introduce legislation improving public access and improve the training of government employees to ensure compliance with existing Sunshine Law rules.

Coinciding with Sunshine Week is Freedom of Information Day on March 16, the birthday of President James Madison, the fourth U.S. president and a member of the Constitutional Convention. Madison fought for the Bill of Rights, particularly the freedoms of religion, speech and the press. According to a posting on the U.S. Census Bureau website, he “understood the value of information in a democratic society, as well as the importance of its free and open dissemination.”

Governor Kathy Hochul on Monday said she would do her part by moving forward with improvements to the way state officials respond to requests for public records. The effort would streamline the FOIL process by directing agencies to preemptively post commonly requested documents online so that journalists and citizens would not have to file the same FOIL requests. It would also allow agencies to respond to FOIL requests without Executive Chamber review — a process that under her predecessor, Governor Andrew Cuomo, often resulted in significant delays, if not downright obstruction, in the sharing of public records.

According to a press release issued by her office, the state will seek a firm to implement software to make those goals possible. The release noted that more than 400 FOIL requests have been processed and completed by the Executive Chamber since Hochul took office seven months ago, compared to 323 requests processed in all of 2019 and 368 in 2020.

“On my first day in office, I pledged to turn the page on the old ways of Albany and restore New Yorkers’ faith in their government,” Hochul said in the release. “We’re taking meaningful action to streamline the process to access public records, so journalists and members of the public can more easily access information to which they are entitled. While there’s always more work to do, I’m proud of the steps my administration has taken to increase transparency and accountability in New York State government.”

It’s heartening to see a public official take her responsibility to make government more accessible and accountable so seriously, and take efforts to improve the process further. Her colleagues on all levels of government should take notice.

From Madison to Hochul, the leaders of our great democracy have recognized the important lessons being repeated through Sunshine Week, that the freedoms we enjoy only survive through an honest and open government — at all levels.

It may be perplexing that we need a week every year to recognize that simple truth — and that for journalists, watchdog and everyday citizens alike, the struggle to keep some officials “in the light” is all too real, but the reality is that an annual reminder is a necessity.

Sunshine Week reminds us that our officials and elected leaders work for the people, and the people have a right — and a responsibility — to examine their efforts, in very fine detail, and in nearly every instance.