Open Government

For way too long our government has been run from behind closed doors where deals are made that aren’t in the best interest of our Nation and our people.

It’s time for the back door politics to go. The public's right to information has come under steady pressure and challenge since September 11th, on the ostensible grounds of "national security" and "sensitive homeland security." Recently, information is being withdrawn, restricted and changed on what seem best characterized as ideological bases.

Laws should be passed that strengthen the freedom of information act and holds those in office responsible for any violations or unreasonable delays. Individuals in office or for that fact government, must and should be held accountable for their actions. There should not be any special protection afforded them if they violate the law. Just like any other organization, if they are found guilty of misconduct, they should be fired and not put on extended “administrative leave.” If a politician or government official is found guilty of corruption, part of the minimum sentence should be that they are not allowed to hold any public governmental or political office again.

I would propose a bill that would be very simple and basic:

“No law, rule or regulation can be passed that excludes any member of the federal government from its implementation unless it is a matter of National Security.”

What do I mean by this? Congress cannot pass and the President cannot sign into law any bill or enact any regulation that excludes them such as all workers must participate in social security and Medicare and have those taxes withheld from their paycheck except for those in federal government.

There will be times that this policy cannot be adhered to such as in the military. They must be governed by the military judicial system and not the normal court system. But I believe this is a higher standard. So, if there is an exclusion for National Security reasons, then that exclusion must be held to a higher standard than the average citizen.