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Tuesday, Mar. 17, 2009

Technology can create a window into government

By by Rob McKenna, Special to the Herald

"The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies that serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may maintain control over the instruments that they have created."

- Washington Public Records Act

Knowledge is power.

Sir Francis Bacon's famous words from the 16th century are especially relevant in the 21st century, when average citizens empower themselves by powering up their personal computers.

From bargain shopping to health tips and parenting advice, access to the Internet provides unprecedented access to information that improves our lives.

Unfortunately, the public's access to government information hasn't always kept pace with tech trends.

When access to government information is available, voters retain their ultimate oversight over elected officials.

When citizens have the ability to readily access government records, decisions about the issues that affect our lives - taxes, education, the environment, transportation - are made in the open.

And make no mistake, the fact that voters are watching is a powerful incentive for politicians to do the right thing.

Since taking office in 2005, I've made it a priority to strengthen the public's right to know what their government is doing behind the scenes.

My office drafted and passed legislation to fortify the public records act. We created an open government ombudsman to oversee public access, successfully fought to create a Sunshine Committee to review exemptions to the Public Records Act - publicly, of course - and pushed hard to require the audio-recording of key meetings of local government bodies and to develop model rules for the Open Public Meetings Act.

While great progress has been made, too many local government agencies - from city councils to school boards - haven't responded to their citizens' expectations about the availability of government data.

Some cities attempt to restrict e-mail requests for public files, requiring that requesters go through the hassle of faxing, mailing or hand-delivering requests for documents produced by their own tax dollars.

One school district recently balked at a parent's request for e-mails relating to the classroom placement of the parent's special needs child. The mom, who wants to make sure that the decision was made lawfully, faced long delays and staggering processing fees.

The week of March 15 is Sunshine Week, a national initiative to open a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. To commemorate the week, state Auditor Brian Sonntag and I sent a letter to state and local government entities encouraging them to use technology to provide greater access at less expense. Our recommendations include:

w Displaying on their websites instructions for requesting records.

w Providing online information on core functions such as budgets, minutes and policies.

w Electronically responding to public records requests.

w Digitally recording public meetings and making those recordings available online.

w Mandating periodic training on sunshine laws and open government model rules.

As we wrote to our fellow public servants, access to public records and meetings is not just good government; it is a prerequisite for meaningful participation in self-governance.

We serve at the consent of the public. By using the latest technology, we can work together to enhance transparency and to help the public maintain a government "of the people, by the people and for the people."

w Rob McKenna is Washington's Attorney General.

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