Transparency

Corporate executives have obligations not only to stockholders, but also to other stakeholders, including customers, creditors, and the greater community. However, government officials, at least from the government ethics point of view, have overwhelming obligations only to members of their immediate community. Is this right?

Are Americans turning First Amendment free speech into a fetish?

It's been four days since Sunshine Week ended, but it's not too late to point out Sunshine Review's first Sunny Awards, given to state and local governments whose websites meet the organization's transparency guidelines, which consider website information on budgets, meetings, elected and administrative officials, permits and zoning, audits, contracts, lobbying, public records,

I continue to be thankful for Sarah Palin's incredible ability to get pedestrian government ethics issues into the public eye. This time it's the use of private e-mails for public business, according to an article in yesterday's New York Times.

There are lots of new rules about using government computers for personal purposes, a new spin on the common misuse of public property provision (most often violated by the use of government vehicles and equipment).

When I started getting involved with my town's government several years ago, I quickly found that limited access to budget and other financial information was a serious problem. The town government would not even put the annual budget online, despite the fact that my town has town meetings to discuss the budget and a budget referendum thereafter. It was clear that the board of selectmen and the department heads did not want the public to be able to prepare for these meetings and ask difficult questions.

Who should pay for a lack of government transparency, the officials keeping the secrets or the citizens who lack access to information?

As it is now, in most jurisdictions, when a complaint is made under a freedom of information/sunshine (FOI) act or ordinance, either local government attorneys represent the respondent or the respondent is compensated for reasonable legal fees. In effect, the complaint is treated as if it were filed against the local government rather than against the official.

It's hard not to get excited about our new president when he says and does the right things when it comes to government ethics. In a memo to heads of executive departments and agencies, President Obama wrote:

The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails.

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• Transparency
• Read more about The Conflicts Behind Government Opacity

It's an excellent way to start an administration, with two executive orders on government ethics and transparency. It sends an important message to governments at all levels that even in the midst of economic crisis and war, ethics is a number one priority.