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The bad news: We’re the worst state in the nation at disclosing public information — such as who gets state contracts and lobbyist activity — online.
Heck, even the terminally bureaucratic District of Columbia does better than Minnesota.
The state is suffering from a lack of transparency. In a recent study funded by the Ford Foundation and conducted by Good Jobs First, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research group, found that Minnesota has not even begun online public reporting of government contracts and lobbyist activity.
Every other state has some form of reporting. Minnesota is not scheduled to start reporting anything until next year and how much will become public is a matter of funding and policies.
Minnesota, once known for good government and transparency, has fallen and fallen hard. A lack of state funding for public information means that the public has been effectively kept out of the loop.
While politicians of all stripes will engage in plenty of finger-pointing, there is simply no partisan excuse that justifies not funding and making public information a priority. Without reliable, timely public information, the public is cut out of the decision-making process and the debate.
Without better funding, Minnesota may not be online with public information for years to come.
This is a textbook example of what happens when good government goes bad.
“Our study finds that sketchy public disclosure hasn’t been confined to exceptional contracts such as (the I-35W bridge). In Minnesota, it’s routine,” said Good Jobs First executive director Greg LeRoy. “We’re surprised to discover how secretive Minnesota is on contracting.”
For those who work trying to obtain information from government agencies, it might not be as shocking as LeRoy thinks. However, for a state with a proud tradition of good government, this ranking and finding should be alarming.
Two things are needed for us to shed this unfortunate ranking — funding and a culture shift.
The public’s right to know isn’t some privilege to be granted as a favor or on a whim. Public information must be made available because it’s just that — the public’s information.
Moreover, as the world and our access to government becomes more electronic, so too must our practices keep up. Minnesota’s lack of disclosure online shouldn’t be given short shrift just because it’s electronic. Information, at least in the 21st century, needs to be available on paper as well as on electrons.
As the next Legislature appears on the horizon, it’s time we ask our representatives and senators what they will do to ensure the public has more access to documents, meetings and records.
It’s also time to send a message to our elected officials that more, especially in terms of disclosure and documents, is always better. Secrecy in the government is the sort of thing that makes most of us uneasy. But secrecy and a lack of transparency can only change if we demand more of our officials. Complacency is tantamount to condoning a culture of secrecy.
This is an issue that transcends party lines. Instead, it speaks to our very ability to understand what our elected and public officials are doing on our behalf, with our tax money and then hold them accountable.
It’s time to put the public back into public information.
The Winona Daily News editorial board also includes publisher Rusty Cunningham and online editor Jerome Christenson. To comment, call 453-3507 or send e-mail to letters@winonadailynews.com.
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Troller wrote on Oct 28, 2007 8:10 AM: