Virtually all public officials say they believe in government transparency, but well-meaning words don’t always translate into effective government action.

So, several years ago, the national Sunshine Review (SR) began regularly assessing some 5,000 state and local government websites, using a “Ten-Point Transparency Checklist” to measure how well government officials are using the internet for “proactive disclosure” of information (rather than merely responding to citizens’ requests).

SR’s latest transparency grades show that the Florida is living up to its “Sunshine State” nickname.  Consider:

• The number of local government web sites in Florida earning an A grade from the Sunshine Review more than doubled (from 10 to 22) during the last year, and the Sunshine State once again had more top scores than any other state.
• Of the 22 Florida jurisdictions receiving an A from the Sunshine Review, 12 earned a perfect score and one (Miami) became the first Florida city to receive a “Sunny Award” for transparency excellence.
• Overall, the Sunshine State received a cumulative transparency grade of B.  Among other things, Florida’s cumulative grade was held down by a high number of “problem sites” (those earning a transparency grade of D or F), which declined only modestly, from 51 to 46, during the last year.
• Failing to provide citizens good information about how to access government audits and about how to access public records were the most common transparency problems.

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During his presidential campaign, there were few subjects Barack Obama was more unequivocal about than transparency. He committed to bringing the sunlight, and bringing it hard — five days guaranteed for legislation posted online, debates held openly on C-SPAN, online access to all aspects of stimulus projects, and so on.

The news this week, of course, is an indication that these were all just words:

President Obama has abolished the position in his White House dedicated to transparency and shunted those duties into the portfolio of a partisan ex-lobbyist who is openly antagonistic to the notion of disclosure by government and politicians.

Handing Norm Eisen’s duties off to DNC lawyer and political hack Bob Bauer is just one of the more audacious aspects of this decision. So The New Ledger’s Brad Jackson and I sat down for a chat with Jim Lakely of the Heartland Institute about the nature of the transparency joke, the president’s technology policies, and the future of broadband and net neutrality.

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One would think that the President of the United States would have enough respect for the people who put him in office to offer an explanation that was remotely believable.

The White House released an explanation of the Job offer. The claim is that Rahm Emanuel sent Bill Clinton to meet with Congressmen Sestak to offer an unpaid advisory position which he would hold along with his congressional job if he were to give up his quest for the Democratic nomination.

The letter issued by the White House Attorney Robert Bauer (embedded below) says in part:

“We found that, as the Congressman has publicly and accurately stated, options for Executive Branch service were raised with him. Efforts were made in June and July of 2009 to determine whether Congressman Sestak would be interested in service on a Presidential or other Senior Executive Branch Advisory Board, which would avoid a divisive Senate primary, allow him to retain his seat in the House, and provide him with an opportunity for additional service to the public in a high-level advisory capacity for which he was highly qualified. The advisory positions discussed with Congressman Sestak, while important to the work of the Administration, would have been uncompensated.”

“White House staff did not discuss these options with Congressman Sestak. The White House Chief of Staff enlisted the support of former President Clinton who agreed to raise with Congressman Sestak options of service on a Presidential or other Senior Executive Branch Advisory Board. Congressman Sestak Declined the suggested alternatives, remaining committed to his Senate candidacy.”

Come on, do they really mean to tell us that it took the best and brightest in America ten weeks to come up with that?

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Just before New Year’s, C-SPAN Chairman and CEO Brian Lamb sent a letter to Congressional leadership, requesting permission to televise negotiations around the final health care reform legislation. The letter was addressed to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, GOP Leader Rep. John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell.

The letter notes:

Now that the process moves to the critical stage of reconciliation between the Chambers, we respectfully request that you all the public full access, through television, to legislation that will affect the lives of every American.

C-SPAN Health Care Letter –

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The Obama-Pelosi-Reid regime marched into office pledging to provide the most transparent federal government in American history. I was looking forward to that.

On Inauguration Day, President Obama told his senior staff:

The way to make government responsible is to hold it accountable. And the way to make government accountable is make it transparent so that the American people can know exactly what decisions are being made, how they’re being made, and whether their interests are being well served.

Mr. President, live up to your statement and ask Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to simply show us the bill.

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