Stop dimming transparency efforts
Illinois’ new transparency laws were created to fling open the backroom door that’s concealed what makes this one of the most corrupt states in the union — and to send the roaches scurrying.
They were designed to show Illinoisans and the rest of the nation that we can operate aboveboard, that we have nothing to hide, that sweetheart deals are a thing of the past, that we can operate as a business that works for the benefit of those who support it. Taxpayers like all of us.
But just as soon as the door was flung open, interests that don’t much like the sunlight hitting them began pushing it shut again.
It’s time to stop it. Now.
Within months of the laws taking effect, the General Assembly caved to the education lobby to exempt educators’ evaluations from public view.
Then it caved to other public employees.
People who work in the private sector enjoy a greater expectation of privacy when it comes to their job performance and pay. After all, if consumers don’t like how their business operates, they will find another.
With government, we consumers don’t have a choice. We all pay the salaries of those who provide that service — or we go to jail for tax evasion. Anyone, then, should have the ability, say, to find out whether a child’s teacher is underperforming.
Just last week, the General Assembly caved to the gun lobby, too, agreeing to stop the names of Firearm Owner Identification card holders from being made public.
Granted, there is an argument worth considering here. We understand the worry, if not the logic, that criminal enterprises could create their own sex offender-style registry of gun owners for the purpose of either targeting non-gun owners as easy pickings or for targeting gun owners’ homes as good places from which to steal firearms.
Either way, that assumes that the thugs who break into homes all of a sudden become brilliant strategists.
The other side of the coin is preserving your right to self protection. You should be able to find out whether the person who has been following you has a license to keep a gun, whether the family of your child’s friend has one and whether someone who makes decisions on gun issues does.
In this country, we’ve striven to empower our people with the knowledge to protect themselves against tyranny and danger. Which brings us back to the tyranny part.
Most noteworthy in last week’s overwhelming vote on FOID cards is its demonstration of how little commitment government really has to transparency. What’s next? Will the legislature ever demonstrate a commitment to transparency or simply wilt before the next group that’s made uncomfortable by sunshine?
Enough damage has been done to this notable effort to create transparency. Stop now.