Open government is key to a functioning democracy

Open government is key to a functioning democracy
EDITOR:
Citizen participation in government is a cornerstone of American democracy.
The ability of each person to speak his or her mind about the policies and actions of government is one of the most treasured American rights, and for this reason, access to government-held information is as much an inalienable right as freedom of expression. Access to public records facilitates the ability of citizens to participate in, as well as be informed about, the running of their government.
Recently, the Ohio Coalition for Open Government sponsored an audit conducted by 42 newspapers, the Associated Press, two radio stations, Ohio University and the University of Dayton. In the audit, more than 90 people requested public records from various public offices throughout the state. Only about half of the time were the records promptly made available in compliance with the law.
This audit should be used as a springboard toward placing a greater priority on educating and training all public employees to improve compliance with the Ohio Sunshine Laws. This mission requires a concerted statewide effort to better serve the citizens who have a right to be informed about the acts of their government.
The Public Records Unit within my office has historically served as a resource on the Sunshine Laws. The unit publishes annual editions of an Ohio Sunshine Laws Update -- "The Yellow Book" -- a manual that provides information about the laws for public offices and the public. This publication is free and is available in hard copy, on CD-ROM, and on my web site at www.ag.state.oh.us.
Building on the resources already available, Rep. Scott Oelslager, R-Canton, and I are planning to review the Sunshine Laws with the goal of introducing legislative changes that will help improve openness in government.
In addition, I am co-sponsoring public seminars around Ohio in conjunction with the Ohio Newspaper Association to provide a forum for citizens, public officials and media groups to discuss how to comply with the Sunshine Laws.
The seminars, to take place around the state beginning in August, will help clarify the rights and responsibilities those laws entail.
As a tool for promoting access to government, the Ohio Public Records Act may seem to benefit only professional journalists. A closer examination of the law shows that this is not the case. Citizen-watchdog groups use it to ensure that the government is following the will of the people. Research organizations use the act to examine the effect of public policies on various aspects of society. Individuals take advantage of access rules to keep tabs on their elected and appointed officials or to protect their property interests.
More often than not, the beneficiaries of open access to public information are not just the professional news-gathering organizations, but the common citizens who use the authority to gain access to the government of the people.
JIM PETRO
Ohio attorney general
Columbus
Martha got a rotten deal
EDITOR:
I am not a fan of Martha Stewart but I say she sure got a rotten deal from our so-called justice system.
She was not charged with insider trading. She was charged with lying to an investigator when she told him she sold her ImClone stock because it was falling to $60. The jury decided she sold her stock for a different reason, so they found her guilty of lying to a government official.
How could 12 jurors know beyond a reasonable doubt why she sold her stock? Are they all mind readers? Only one person in the world knows why Martha Stewart sold her stock: That person is Martha Stewart. The jurors and other people can surmise and guess, but they do not know the reason she sold any more than they know the reason she parts her hair on the right side.
This case causes me to agree with the wise guy who said, "a jury consists of 12 people of average ignorance."
WILLIAM M. NECKERMAN
Youngstown