The York Dispatch, Sept. 27

Access is people's key

The very essence of open government is transparency. But the concept doesn't play well in Pennsylvania.

In its government reform campaign, "Brighter Pennsylvania," the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association lays out the case against the Keystone State:

"Access to public records and meetings is critical for the public to understand its government and to make informed judgments about how to exercise its political power.

"Yet citizens across the Commonwealth continue to struggle for access to even the most basic information about state and local government."

Changes to the state's Sunshine Act have been substantial, but yet have failed to produce the openness necessary.

The open records law should make it clear that the public is entitled to know and be informed fully about the conduct and activities of government.

The Legislature should amend the Sunshine Act to ensure that records in the possession or control of a public agency must be presumed to be accessible to the public.

And while the Sunshine Act seems to require public deliberations, something happens to ordinary, information-deprived citizens once they take public office -- they take the stand that "informational meetings" can be closed, thus cutting the public out of any discussion.

The act is not working as intended. A proffered solution is an "Office of Access" to hear appeals and furnish advisory guidelines, opinions and other appropriate information about the laws to both agencies and citizens.

Other states have established such agencies. The result: reduced litigation over freedom of information issues, and an easier challenge by citizens to government's innate tendency to covet public information.

Let's fix the Sunshine Act this year, to the benefit of all Pennsylvanians.

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