Opinion

OUR OPINION

August 28, 2007

It’s your right to review budgets, reports, papers

IN A PERFECT world, every bridge would be safe to cross.

Every restaurant’s kitchen would be exceedingly clean, with not a single health or safety violation.

And every school board member and elected official would have a conscience like George Bailey, the “It’s a Wonderful Life” film character whose actions were never dictated by self-interest but rather the public good.

You, however, don’t live in a utopia.

So if you want to keep public officials and institutions credible – and know what’s happening, or not happening, with your tax dollars – you better be able to access budgets, reports and other important documents.

In Pennsylvania, that’s easier said than done. Open records laws in this state lag behind many other places, putting government watchdogs, journalists and people like you at a disadvantage. Those laws, unchanged for years, basically work to confine information in the hands of a few while keeping most citizens in the dark.

Just how dark?

The Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, an industry trade group based in Harrisburg, aims to show the extent of the problem by holding its first PA Open Records Challenge. Residents across this region are encouraged to join participants statewide in trying to complete the challenge by delving into open records data and making at least one open records request.

Ask your local municipality, for instance, to receive documents reflecting the total amount it spent on legal fees for the year 2006. (Then share your experience – good or not-so-good – by sending your story to the association’s blog.)

For an official contest worksheet and rules, Internet users should go to www.passopenrecords.org. The contest deadline is Oct. 5. Entries must be faxed to Melissa Melewsky, the association’s media law counsel, at (717) 703-3001.

Two grand prize winners will be selected; each will receive a one-year newspaper subscription to a hometown publication.

The association’s directors hope the challenge will focus more attention on the state’s antiquated open records laws as well as ongoing efforts in the Legislature to give citizens greater access to government.

A related event is set for Oct. 15 at the Capitol, North Third and State streets, Harrisburg.

By insisting on open records reform, you and other Keystone State residents won’t make this a perfect place. But it’ll become much easier to keep an eye out for bad behavior, corruption, complacency and waste.

WIN A SUBSCRIPTION

Participate in the PA Open Records Challenge,and be eligible to win a

one-year newspaper subscription,by completing the contest worksheet

available at www.passopenrecords.org.

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