Opposition to transparency
From Sunshine Review
Opposition to transparency can stem from any number of factors. Some individuals believe transparency is too costly. Sometimes, government may actually seek to hide poor financial management. The following article provides examples of opposition to transparency and some suggestions about how to respond to such opposition.
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[edit] Examples of opposition to transparency
[edit] Washington school district
The following letter was sent in response to the request of Brett Davis, Economic Policy Center Analyst for the Evergreen Freedom Foundation's Transparency in Government Project. It was sent by Superintendent John Glenewinkel of Spokane, Washington:
"Dear Mr. Davis:
"The East Valley School District is absolutely committed to transparency. We welcome public scrutiny of our budget and our warrants. All Washington State School District budgets, as well a variety of other public finance documents, are available for review at http://www.k12.wa.us/. This is the web address for the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
"All warrants are available to any all members of our community as part of the Board of Directors packet. We also provide our community with regular fiscal updates and reports.
"While it would not be at all objectionable to me to post all the information you suggest on-line, in these economic times, this would be one more expense that removes resources from the classroom. I cannot as a responsible steward for my district justify such an expense. If your organization or another would like to commit to financing the costs associated with posting and maintaining the information you suggest should be posted o our website we would be very interested in working with you. John"
[edit] Dealing with opposition to transparency
[edit] Costs of transparency
[edit] School districts
Although it may appear costly to place school district spending online, it is actually fairly simple. One approach is to place the financial data in a searchable .pdf document online. For more information, see this handout from the Illinois Policy Institute.
