Pay Attention Floridians...Government in the Sunshine is the Law.

[GoodWitch58]

but apparently our present Governor doesn't think it applies to him or the people who work for him:

The prince of darkness - St. Petersburg Times

The Scott administration views Florida's Sunshine Laws as a nuisance and the release of public records as a personal favor. It treats public records as private corporate documents and grudgingly distributes what it wants, when it wants ? and to whom it wants. ? Nearly three months into the job, Scott acts as though he is still the CEO of a private hospital company who has no legal obligation to be transparent. He says he supports open government, and he signed an executive order his first day re-establishing the Office of Open Government created by Gov. Charlie Crist. But it's been downhill since then. ? Scott is the Prince of Darkness, avoiding the sunshine of open meetings and public records whenever he can

By his actions and his inactions, Scott's indifference to the public's right to know is obvious. He acknowledges he does not use e-mail because he does not want to create a public record that might reveal his thinking. His office so far has refused to reveal who flies on his private plane or who visits him in the Governor's Mansion. His agency heads are muzzled, under orders to get approval before speaking publicly.

Earlier this month, Scott declined an invitation to walk a block from the Capitol and attend the annual luncheon of the First Amendment Foundation, a nonpartisan, nonprofit that promotes open government (full disclosure: I am chairman of the foundation's board of directors). His office also canceled public records workshops with state employees routinely conducted by the foundation and the Office of Open Government. I could take it personally, but the governor also hasn't responded to a letter sent two months ago by the Florida Society of News Editors seeking a conversation about issues involving access to records and meetings.

Scott has created a facade of openness. He held one town meeting on Twitter ? good luck having a serious public policy discussion in 140 characters ? and another last week on Facebook. He will direct his driver to pull over so he can chat for a few minutes to reporters waiting on the side of the road. Those are no substitutes for the prompt disclosure of public records, access to meetings with legislators that ought to be public and broader opportunities for Scott to give more thoughtful answers than sound bites.

The Scott administration revels in its disdain for traditional media and seems to enjoy the daily infighting. To his credit, the governor made a funny video for the annual press skits this month in which he pretended to telephone other Republican governors to seek advice in dealing with a hostile press (No, Gov. Barbour, I don't think a bottle of scotch will work). It would have been even better if he had bothered to show up at the skits as other governors have over the years.

This is not just a routine skirmish between a governor controlling his message and a frustrated Tallahassee press corps. This is not about new media such as Twitter vs. traditional media such as newspapers. This is about a lack of respect for the constitutional rights of all Floridians to have access to their state government and the information necessary to hold it accountable. Scott is more hostile to open meetings and public records than any governor in more than 40 years, and he has created a dark cloud over Florida's Sunshine Laws. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't expect that cloud to lift any time soon.

the emphasis above is mine; I find it alarming that the people of Florida have elected a governor who apparently believes he is accountable only to a small portion of the electorate; or maybe not even them; and who has such little respect for the Sunshine Law, which has been a model of government for years. I find it hard to believe that the people who voted for him, really voted for this disrespect of the constitution and the public's right to know.

http://www.myflsunshine.com/sun.nsf/pages/Law

Florida is renowned for putting a high priority on the public's right of access to governmental meetings and records. In fact, the principles of open government are not only embodied in Florida statutes, but also are guaranteed in the state Constitution.

Florida began its tradition of openness back in 1909 with the passage of what has come to be known as the ?Public Records Law,? Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes. This law provides that any records made or received by any public agency in the course of its official business are available for inspection, unless specifically exempted by the Florida Legislature. Over the years, the definition of what constitutes ?public records? has come to include not just traditional written documents such as papers, maps and books, but also tapes, photographs, film, sound recordings and records stored in computers.

Florida's Government-in-the-Sunshine Law was enacted in 1967. Today, the Sunshine Law can be found in Chapter 286 of the Florida Statutes. The Sunshine Law establishes a basic right of access to most meetings of boards, commissions and other governing bodies of state and local governmental agencies or authorities.

 

[Bob Wells]

We have politicians who do this on a regular basis here, ask them why and some will tell you it hinders getting things done. Basically saying, I am above the law, don't you think?

 

[30ashopper]

but apparently our present Governor doesn't think it applies to him or the people who work for him:

The prince of darkness - St. Petersburg Times



the emphasis above is mine; I find it alarming that the people of Florida have elected a governor who apparently believes he is accountable only to a small portion of the electorate; or maybe not even them; and who has such little respect for the Sunshine Law, which has been a model of government for years. I find it hard to believe that the people who voted for him, really voted for this disrespect of the constitution and the public's right to know.

My Florida Sunshine - The "Sunshine" Law

"My assessment of this snarky tweet"

I think the governor has every reason to be critical of the press. This guy you quoted took a three word tweet and turned into a major attack on Scott. Reading into things maybe? :roll: Just a little?


The major newspapers here in Florida have very liberal editorial boards, and they have spent every waking moment since Scott was elected trying to tear him down. (Remember they all endorsed Sink for governor.)

 

[Bob Wells]

"My assessment of this snarky tweet"

I think the governor has every reason to be critical of the press. This guy you quoted took a three word tweet and turned into a major attack on Scott. Reading into things maybe? :roll: Just a little?


The major newspapers here in Florida have very liberal editorial boards, and they have spent every waking moment since Scott was elected trying to tear him down. (Remember they all endorsed Sink for governor.)

With obvious good reason IMO.

 

[30ashopper]

"The prince of darkness!"

:shock: :roll:

 

[GoodWitch58]

this writer is one of the most respected reporters/editors in the state...maybe in the country. His concerns about the lack of transparency are critical and I believe he is doing his job well to inform folks of what is going on. Chose to ignore it, or ridicule it, if you will, but it is his job to point out the behavior. And, if you read the entire article, it is about much more than "one tweet" as you put it.

Until it is changed, there is a law that says we will have "sunshine" in our government, and there is freedom of the press, and Governor or not, he is obligated to follow the law like everyone else and be accountable to the people of Florida. the way that happens is through the news media.

Serious reporters do take their Code of Ethics and their profession seriously. All Tim is asking of the Governor is that he treat the office he holds with the same respect.

I find it hard to believe that you, or anyone else, wants a governor who does not respect the people for whom he works...

 

[idlewind]

this writer is one of the most respected reporters/editors in the state...maybe in the country. His concerns about the lack of transparency are critical and I believe he is doing his job well to inform folks of what is going on. Chose to ignore it, or ridicule it, if you will, but it is his job to point out the behavior. And, if you read the entire article, it is about much more than "one tweet" as you put it.

Until it is changed, there is a law that says we will have "sunshine" in our government, and there is freedom of the press, and Governor or not, he is obligated to follow the law like everyone else and be accountable to the people of Florida. the way that happens is through the news media.

Serious reporters do take their Code of Ethics and their profession seriously. All Tim is asking of the Governor is that he treat the office he holds with the same respect.

I find it hard to believe that you, or anyone else, wants a governor who does not respect the people for whom he works...

Where was your ( and Tim and the St Pete Times) criticism of Obama when he reneged on a campaign promise and held the meetings regarding health care in secret? Until there is consistency there is no truth.

 

[BeachSiO2]

As Idlewind pointed out, but it's not just Health Care..

From The Hill,

Watchdog knocks Obama administration on transparency - The Hill's Hillicon Valley

More than two years after he took office the success of President Obama's open government directive is still very much in doubt, according to a prominent government transparency watchdog.

Sunlight Foundation executive director Ellen Miller called 2010 "tremendously disappointing" for open government advocates and said little has happened in 2011 to change her view that the Obama administration has failed to deliver on transparency.


"It seems like there's been more promises made than reality delivered and we're disappointed," Miller told The Hill this week.

 

[GoodWitch58]

Two wrongs don't make a right.

I would like it if the Obama administration was more transparent in many things; I would like Gitmo closed; the Iraq war ended; the Afghanistan war not escalated...the financial situation different; the bail outs different...there are many things that I would prefer President Obama have done or do, differently.

I would have preferred a Public Option for health care; I would have preferred less effort being made to compromise on a whole host of issues...I would have preferred a more aggressive approach to many things and not so much accommodation to the other party.

I would prefer fewer lobbyists in the Administration and that the head of NBC was not the chief jobs person...

I would prefer that teachers be paid well and respected more; that fire fighters and EMS personnel, and public service workers in general not be scapegoated; that the middle class actually have a chance to live the American dream; that retirement aged people be able to afford to retire, instead of work until they are well into their seventies...I would prefer that all of us still have a retirement nest egg like we thought we would; that veterans get the treatment they need and not have their houses foreclosed on while they walk the streets of Baghdad or Kabul...

I would prefer that bin Laden had been captured and that his band of terrorists were gone forever; that women in Afghanistan could go to school or work w/out fearing for their lives; and that every woman in this country did not have to still fight for the right to do what she chooses with her body...and that elected officials did not write bills to allow people to carry guns to college campuses...but not write bills to prevent Florida from being the pill mill capital of the U.S. I would prefer that we never sent our men and women into harm's way in any country that has not attacked us...and yes, that includes Libya--

There are a lot of things that I would prefer to be different than they are.

and where has my opinion been? It has been in letters to the president; letters to the Congress; letters to those who are working on the issues. It has been in trips to the Capitol and reflected in my financial contributions; written about here and in other places where I voice my opinion.

How I feel and what I have done about the president's agenda and methods, has nothing to do with the fact that our Governor is not respecting our state constitution and the open government law.

the federal government doesn't have a Government in the Sunshine statute like the state of Florida does...which was the focus of this particular piece of writing, and it is just one example that I happen to feel particularly passionate about...as does the reporter who wrote the article and many others like him. Because the long term ramifications to our society fromthis behavior are serious.

We can argue back and forth that just because one party or one person does "A", then the other party or the other person can be given license to do "B", a kind of tit for tat..that is the height of stupidity in my opinion...and totally useless to affect any kind of change in behavior or process.

it is all of us who are being played--no matter who is doing the deed, and our country and our lives and our children's lives are being adversely affected.

Pay attention, folks, it is not just an R or a D or an I or an L problem--it is our problem...and if we don't wake up and demand something different, then we deserve what we continue to get.

 

[Bob]

scott is a reprobate