Submitted by Cheryl Musgrave
Recently, the Courier and Press called transparency a good “campaign issue.”
I don’t think transparency is a campaign issue. I think it’s the public’s right.
Vanderburgh County was the first to have assessment, sales, and tax information available on the Internet. This information was joined to the county’s first digital map and placed on the Internet for free.
The local tax appeals board was the first to live-stream government meetings on the Internet.
The local tax appeals board was the first to live-stream government meetings on the Internet.
As County Commissioner, I expanded televised coverage of local government meetings to include all the Commission’s official actions as well as other boards and councils.
As Commissioner of the Department of Local Government Finance, millions of tax, assessment, and sales records were placed on line along with substantial information regarding budgets, tax laws, and timelines.
But State Representative Gail Riecken appears to think that transparency is only good when it’s useful to her.
An extraordinary scene took place last night at an Evansville neighborhood association meeting where she and I appeared before engaged and interested citizens.
Representative Riecken refused to allow citizens to record her comments. After arriving late to the meeting, she ordered that all cameras be turned off before she spoke. Then her clique of friends yelled and accused other audience members of using their cell phones to record her remarks.
The First Amendment guarantees freedom of the press to everyone. But apparently Riecken doesn’t like this fact.
The contrast with my beliefs and track record could not be greater.
I told audience members to film whatever they liked, that this was all part of the process. Candidates have rights to privacy—but not at a public forum.
In this era of iPhones, Internet, and YouTube, the people’s right to know includes the right to see and hear their public servants when they appear in public or conduct public business. I will continue this work as your State Representative.
