Keep the light shining on government

A couple of decades ago, the Jefferson Memorial was decaying, rapidly. Maintenance workers discovered the problem: washing away the excessive bird droppings so often was affecting the monument. It turned out that the birds were attracted by the bugs which were attracted by the bright lights illuminating the memorial all night. The solution? Reduce how long the monument was lit. Soon, the Jefferson Memorial was stable yet still clean.

Sometimes, though, less light is bad. Very bad. The Father of American Democracy, Thomas Jefferson, was a proponent of individual rights and advocated for a strong local government. He believed citizens have a civic duty to aid the state and resist corruption. In other words, he believed government — and democracy in general — works best when there is ample light shining on all its workings.

March 10-16, known as Sunshine Week, celebrates that light. It also pays tribute to Jefferson’s belief in civic virtue and his fight for the right for all citizens to be informed and have a say in their government. While Sunshine Week lasts only seven days, it’s up to all of us to keep the sun shining on government all year long.

In Minnesota, the Open Meeting Law and the Government Data Practices Act are two strong tools that defend our right to know how and why government makes decisions on our behalf.

I believe most people working in government, including those serving in elected office, have our best interests at heart. But sometimes motives — unintended or otherwise — can sway our leaders to make decisions in the dark.

During my tenures as editor of two community newspapers, I witnessed numerous acts that circumvented the spirit — if not the letter — of the Open Meeting Law and Government Data Practices Act.

I saw public bodies conduct meetings at 7 a.m., a time that’s inconvenient for many members of the public. I saw public bodies conduct business in conference rooms so small that there was no space, sometimes not even a chair, for citizens to view the proceedings.

I witnessed “emergency meetings” called with only a few hours’ notice because one of the members was about to leave town. According to the law, an emergency meeting can be called without the mandatory 72-hour

advance notice only when there is an actual emergency, such as a tornado, fire or flood. During my 40-plus years in journalism, I recall only one emergency that met that test.

I learned about a local public body conducting a workshop almost an hour’s drive out of town. The law requires bodies to deliberate within the borders of their community.

On more than one occasion, I saw a board elect its executive officers with no discussion — as if the slate had been discussed privately and decided before the meeting.

I once was told by a government administrator that he had instructed his public board to conduct a straw vote on an issue, a blatant violation of the Open Meeting Law.

In another instance, a clerk asked one of our paper’s reporters why he was requesting a list of government workers’ salaries. Governments are required to hand over that information without regard for how it might be used.

These instances are exceptions. As I said before, I believe government operates in the light most of the time. It’s when it doesn’t that democracy suffers.

A community newspaper [such as the Pine Knot News] is one of government’s watchdogs. A good watchdog will try to stop an intrusion before it occurs.

Thomas Jefferson wrote, “The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest.” Honesty requires light. Let’s work to keep the light shining on government at all times. It’s good for democracy.

Doug Hanneman is the retired editor of the South Washington County Bulletin and the Hutchinson Leader.