Sarasota Livin'

Oh I agree about 120% .... lets keep almost everything in the Florida Sunshine...

Access to public records is vital in keeping an eye on government

Sarasota Herald Tribune STAFF REPORT

Every day, journalists use public records to review government decisions and find out how officials are spending taxpayer money.

They access e-mails, meeting minutes and budget documents in their role as government watchdog and community informant.

Records can often provide answers when government officials refuse to do so.

For citizens busy with their lives, access to public records may seem like a distant concern.

But guaranteeing citizens access acts as a check on powerful governments and the people who run them.

"The government has a responsibility and a duty to provide information to its citizens so that its citizens ... can evaluate the decisions that public officials are making," said Sandra Chance, executive director of the Brechner Center, an academic organization that educates the public on public records law.

"It's what makes our democracy strong and empowers individuals."

Over the past year, the Herald-Tribune has written dozens of stories that wouldn't have been complete without access to public records. Some of them uncovered conflicts of interest, others exposed government malfeasance.