Why is it so many of the people we elect pledge transparency and then work hard to avoid it at all costs?

 

 

Don't we deserve to know how our tax dollars are being spent?

Why is it so many of the people we elect pledge transparency and then work hard to avoid it at all costs?

Tinley Park, IL

By Reboot Illinois (News Partner) December 29, 2015

Gov. Bruce Rauner is out of the country, taking a vacation with his family. Where? None of your business. Forget transparency. We’re not allowed to know. (Hmmm, must be a really, really good undisclosed location.)

Reports say he paid for it himself; we taxpayers aren’t footing the bill, so I suppose that’s fine, but what’s the big secret?

Why is it so many of the people we elect pledge transparency and then work hard to avoid it at all costs? And why do we tolerate it so often?

Rauner regularly pledged to operate in the open when he ran for governor. How’s that going?

Last winter and spring, he created a set of special working groups that operated in total darkness. The media, and therefore, the public weren’t allowed to know times, locations or topics. Members of the groups were sworn to secrecy.

The governor also took months to share copies of legislation he sought.

Reporters had to wait, typically more than a month, for copies of his non-public schedule to get some sense for where he was. The Associated Press reported those documents had plenty redacted so that frequently it was impossible to see who was meeting with the governor.

Democrats also went after the governor for parking the salaries of many of his “star” cabinet members on the payrolls of departments seemingly unconnected to their work. This, after the governor signed an executive order within days of taking office saying he was creating a way for Illinoisans to find out more about political hires in state government.

“Taxpayers at every level of government deserve to know more about how their money is being spent. The action we are taking today will help build a more open and accountable government,” he said then.

Rauner’s press staff regularly keeps a tight rein on the governor’s and their own interactions with the press. And sadly, it’s become far too common for politicians of all persuasions to withhold information and to deal with journalists only through emails. Yes, we’ve become a texting/typing/tweeting society and that hurts us all.

It’s impossible to hear tone of voice, or see facial interaction, or to probe for a follow-up answer if all our interactions are typed.

Is Rauner alone in operating in the shadows? Not even close.

Above is from:  http://patch.com/illinois/tinleypark/dont-we-deserve-know-how-our-tax-dollars-are-being-spent