The (Norristown) Times Herald, Oct. 6

Looking for that open-door vibe

Stan Huskey, editor
The (Norristown) Times Herald

How open do you think your local government should be?

Or better yet, how open do you think your local government is?

We are in the midst of National Newspaper Week, and even though we don’t make a big deal out of it, because, well, we all know there’s a week dedicated for just about everything these days.

However, instead of tooting our own horn about how wonderful newspapers are, we thought it would better serve our readers to talk about one of the biggest issues facing newspapers, and you: Pennsylvania’s open records law.

The sheer audacity of any government to attempt to hide any information from its citizens goes beyond appalling and should be considered criminal. Without citizens paying taxes, government wouldn't have the ability to produce any information. You should have the right to nearly every document produced by your local, state and federal governments.

Unfortunately, Pennsylvania doesn’t believe that to be the case. In fact, our state’s open records laws have been rated as some of the worst in the country.

In an effort to right the ship, and return rights to the taxpaying public, we are supporting the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association's "Brighter Pennsylvania" campaign.

Any entity supported by taxpayer dollars should be an open book, so to speak, and that includes your local school district.

Last year we joined a state-wide effort to test local government, police and school districts on their knowledge and compliance to the current open record laws. Even with the tight restrictions currently enforced, our area would still receive a failing grade.

Do you know that you have the right to see salary information for all public employees? Do you know you have the right to know the amount of money spent to settle a lawsuit?

We encourage our readers to contact their local legislators and push for a "Brighter Pennsylvania." We also encourage our local governments, police departments and school districts to be as open as possible when dealing with their local newspapers, and especially their local residents when it comes to public information.

We know how open our local government should be, and we’re hopeful the day will come when they know, too.

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