Editorial: Open Government Bill of Rights is best for all

Editorial: Open Government Bill of Rights is best for all



Publication Date: 12/07/07


In his first year in office, Gov. Charlie Crist's track record on open government attests to his belief, "the people of Florida are the boss."

The first day Crist was in office last January, he created the Office of Open Government within the governor's office.

All who work in his office and those in agencies within his purview have to make their offices fully accessible under Florida's Government-in-the-Sunshine (open meetings) and Public Records laws and Article 1, Section 24, of the state's constitution.

Within months, Crist issued another executive order creating the Commission on Open Government. That commission is holding meetings statewide to hear concerns from the public about access. The commission meetings are not just for news media complaints. They are for all the public.

The commission is expected to make recommendations to Crist by the end of 2008 on any changes to the state's open meetings and records laws. Access laws also provide for exemptions throughout state government to protect certain documents and meetings from public scrutiny.

That's understandable to a degree but those laws require that the exemptions be cited in writing if the requester asks for a written explanation. It's always best to get turndowns in writing.

Less than a month ago, Crist put forth a new executive order creating an Open Government Bill of Rights. This one grew out of the hearings before the Commission on Open Government.

Crist's Bill of Rights requires that all state agencies under his purview, such as the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Children and Families, adopt a bill of rights.

His executive order spells out what the bill of rights must say. For example, an agency shall post a statement on its Web site and in its agency headquarters that says "the public is entitled to be treated with respect, courtesy and professionalism." That's the first of several requirements.

The others cited in the order focus on smoother access to public records by the public.

It's all about the culture, Crist said recently. "By creating a culture that fosters public trust and confidence, we become a government truly operating in the sunshine."

Florida's Open Government Bill of Rights does not extend to any of our local governments but it should. Our local governments should move forward in that direction.

We the people decide who sits in those big government chairs anyway.

We should know as much as we can about all of our governments from the inside out.


Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/120707/opinions_news1_033.shtml

© The St. Augustine Record