By Mandy Feder —
It is raining on my Sunshine Week, literally and metaphorically.
I put up with a whole lot, usually with a smile on my face. However, I will not tolerate any person or organization, stealing my “Sunshine,” and neither should you.
This week is Sunshine Week, a national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information.
Participating organizations include news media, civic groups, libraries, non-profit organizations, schools as well as individuals who are interested in “the public”s right to know.”
The initiative aims to increase public awareness, which is always a good idea.
People with information and facts make more qualified decisions.
The efforts of participants are real forces for moving the public away from accepting excessive and unwarranted government secrecy.
Not only do many members of the public fail to realize what their rights are; all too often public officials are not well-versed in laws, responsibilities and obligations to the people they serve.
Some officials know the rules and choose not to follow them.
It really isn”t that common, but it does happen and when it does, we must call that person or organization out.
Sunshine Week was launched by the American Society of News Editors in 2005. It is a non-partisan, non-profit initiative celebrated in mid-March to coincide with James Madison”s birthday.
Last year the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press joined the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) resulting in more resources for those who wish to preserve the rights to access information.
It was created by journalists, but Sunshine Week is specifically about the public”s right to know what its government is doing and why.
According to its website at www.sunshineweek.org, “Sunshine Week seeks to enlighten and empower people to play an active role in their government at all levels, and to give them access to information that makes their lives better and their communities stronger. Individuals and public officials who embody the spirit of government transparency and fight for it in their communities.”
One word jumped off of the page when I read that quote, “transparency.”
Enough said.
So who is up for soaking up the sun?
Exercise your rights to openness by going to local government agencies and obtain records such as your property records at the assessor”s office, get the state report card or the test scores from your child”s school, get police reports on recent crashes or crimes in Lake County or the latest city audit.
Report your findings, and whether you were denied access, on your Facebook page or with Twitter. Write a letter to the editor or a guest commentary.
Lake County may face a particular open-records or open-meetings issue, so focus on issues by seeking out records and reporting it or editorializing on it.
Let the sunshine in. It”s later than you think.
Mandy Feder is the Managing Editor at Lake County Publishing. She can be reached at mandyfeder@yahoo.com or 263-5636 ext. 32. Follow on Twitter @mandyfeder1.
