settlement – filed and approved in court this week and amounting to little more than a slap on the wrist – shows us that the DeKalb Library Board still has no credibility and that state laws in place to enforce and protect open and transparent government are viewed as a nuisance by many of those in power, including DeKalb County's presiding judge.
Too often, breaches of these acts are brushed aside. Lawmakers talk a big game when it comes to transparency, but do little about it.
Penalties for violating the Freedom of Information Act or Open Meetings Act became a little stiffer this year, but until those violating the acts are held responsible, scenarios like the one with the DeKalb Library Board will continue
