The new PA open records law brings the best hope for accountability and transparency in PA state and local government. Here is a plea from the executive director of the new office of open records. Please consider it and help.
We've recently seen how front line government employees are placed between disenfranchised and betrayed citizens and an unresponsive, secretive and often corrupt group of powerbrokers. This often leads to open animosity between front line government workers and citizens while the system itself remains unchanged. Here we see government workers giving their best efforts to restore a positive direction towards an empowered citizenry and an accountable democratic government more in line with recognized international standards. http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20090728_Open-records_threat.html "The law is 7 months old. With nine people on board as of May, we've met all our deadlines while processing about 600 appeals, 2,400 e-mails, 1,200 phone calls and conducting more than 200 training sessions. Forty-eight of our decisions have been challenged in the Court of Common Pleas or Commonwealth Court, requiring nearly full-time legal attention. Our staff works 12-15 hours a day because they are committed to open government and ensuring that citizens have access to their government. Sustaining such a significant budget cut will gut the progress that this Commonwealth has made regarding open government. " ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
