And now, an NBC Bay Area Editorial:
Last we checked, politicians work for us. So why is Sacramento preventing them from opening their calendars? What's there to hide?
I'm Suzanne Shaw (NBC Bay Area Editorial Director)
From President Obama to Governor Brown, elected officials and appointed officials often publish their appointment schedules. California's Senate and Assembly actually forbid open calendars arguing, "privacy, security and legislative privilege" override our right to know.
We disagree.
The Legislature's own rules say, "access to information concerning the conduct of the people's business by the Legislature is a fundamental and necessary right."
This is about influence. Closed calendars provide no transparency, who gets time with the very politicians who write our laws and divy-up our tax dollars.
We join The Mercury News and others, in demanding openess in lawmakers' calendars
Please scroll down to view comments or leave your own. If you would like to leave a longer response, you can also submit comments via email at editorials@.nbcbayarea.com
Previous 2011 Editorials:
June 26th, 2011
Is the Sun Setting on Our State Parks
June 12, 2011
The High Stakes of Higher Education
May 29th, 2011
Too Toxic for Our Toddlers
May 15th, 2011
Deregulate to Better Educate
May 1st, 2011
Oil Companies' Slick Tax Move
April 17th, 2011
Revamping Our Revenue Model
April 3rd 2011
Transit Costs Are Off the Rails
March 19th, 2011
The Price of Our Prisons
March 13th, 2011
Why is Green Tech Still a Foreign Concept?
February 27th, 2011
No Rebound Without Restructure
February 13th, 3022
Teacher Tenure
January 30th, 2011
What a Waste
January 16th, 2011
Governor Brown's Budget
January 2nd, 2011
2011 New Year's Resolutions
