Bill would stop public disclosure of state workers' salaries
April 15, 2009: "A Web site that lists the salary of every state employee by name has triggered a bill to protect their identity, pitting the public's right to know against the privacy of individuals paid with public funds.
The Maine Heritage Policy Center, a Portland-based conservative advocacy group, launched the Web site http://MaineOpengov.org last September to track payrolls, pension payments and checks written by the state to individuals and businesses. The searchable database identifies every position by the name of the employee who holds it." Read the full article here.
Public Salaries Website Causes Privacy Dispute
April 10, 2009: "When a conservative think tank posted the names and salaries of state employees on its website, the database was applauded by the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition, which promotes open government. Since then, state employees have complained that easy public access to their salary information amounts to an invasion of privacy. In response a Democratic legislative leader has submitted a bill to shield the state employees' names. Now critics are accusing her of trying to turn government into a secret society." Read the full article here.
Bill hides names from list of state worker salaries
April 10, 2009: "A Web site launched last year that posts the names of state workers and their salaries is coming under fire from legislators who want to protect the privacy of public employees.
Assistant Senate Majority Leader Lisa Marrache, D-Waterville, and five other central Maine lawmakers are supporting a bill that disallows the release of salary information as it pertains to 'an individual state, county, municipal, school, University of Maine System, Maine Community College System or Maine Maritime Academy employee.'" Read the full article here.
Maine group asks local towns for financial data to post on Web
March 19, 2009: "A Maine-based organization is asking for a heavy load of information from some local towns under the Freedom of Information Act.
The Maine Heritage Policy Center has requested three years worth of information from several towns in Maine, which communications director Martin Sheehan said either came at the request of that town or a group of residents in that location. Once that information is gathered, Sheehan said, it will all go onto the Web site http://MaineOpenGov.org for the public to access, where more than 40 residents had posted comments about financial information obtained from the state last fall." Read the full article here.
| 
