From the Hendersonville Times-News (3/14/09): North Carolina is among the best states at posting public records on the Internet, but some information is often hard to find, infrequently updated or not entirely available, according to an analysis by The Associated Press released Sunday.
The survey examined how all 50 states provide online access to 20 different kinds of records, ranging from consumer complaints to teacher certifications. The report ties North Carolina for third with Kentucky in its accessibility to public records. Only Texas and New Jersey ranked higher in the Sunshine Week 2009 Survey of State Government Information, which was compiled by newspaper and broadcast journalists over a two-month period.
The report found that North Carolina provides information on 17 out of 20 categories surveyed such as death certificates, bridge inspection reports and disciplinary actions against medical physicians and attorneys. A visitor to the state’s government Web site (www.nc.gov) can easily find links to state agencies on health, public education and transportation, but other links listed under “Online Services” and “State Agencies” can be confusing for a first-time user, the survey found.
There also are inconsistencies in the type and depth of public records department Web sites provide.
The Department of Health and Human Services Web site, for example, doesn’t post comprehensive details about the safety inspection of all its institutions including adult care homes, nursing homes and mental health group facilities.
“Public records are public records. We’re trying to make it easier as we go along,” health department spokesman Mark Van Sciver said. “Let’s be very clear, there’s a lot of information out there. It is a wide, wide net that we have.”
The state attorney general’s office easily allows users to file consumer complaints and lists warnings about frauds and scams, but more detailed information is only available in press releases on a different page.
“All of the documents that are public records, we certainly put out there,” said Attorney General spokeswoman Noelle Talley, acknowledging the information could be presented in a different way.
In some instances, requesting records online — such as safety reports on child care centers in the state — seemed tricky. The health department’s Division of Child Development provides descriptions of child care centers and homes and each is rated on a 5-star system. But additional records must be mailed and requests can take weeks to process. Death certificates must be requested, and there is a fee.
The Department of Public Instruction lacks easily accessible information on school building inspections and school bus safety reports, but agency spokeswoman Vanessa Jeter said more than 130,000 pages of online content links to in-depth data on school testing, student enrollment and SAT scores.
“I think we do a pretty good job with the resources we have,” she said. “We’re always trying to do a better job. There’s always something you can do better.”
Other findings highlight some departments’ ability to organize their content. The Department of Transportation’s Web site, for example, lists status updates for every road project in the state.
DOT spokeswoman Dara Demi said the site has been revamped over the last year. In a technology-driven era, it’s crucial for state departments to keep the consumer in mind when organizing page content, she said.
“People, instead of going to the yellow pages, they hop on the Internet,” Demi said. “It’s a massive undertaking. There just has to be a bunch of effort.”
One of Gov. Beverly Perdue’s campaign promises last year was to make government more accountable and accessible. She recently launched a Web site (www.NCRecovery.gov) where citizens can track how the state spends its $6.1 billion in federal stimulus funds. She also plans to list all state contracts and grant awards above $10,000 on another Web site set to launch this month.
The moves come about a year after some of former Gov. Mike Easley’s officials were accused of telling workers to quickly delete their government e-mails, which are public record. Easley later ordered that all such e-mails be stored for at least 10 years.
Perdue has avoided public records criticism in her first three months in office. And so far, she’s sticking to her campaign pledge.
“This has been one of Gov. Perdue’s pledges from day one,” said spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson. “It’s the people’s business, and she wants them to see how their state government runs.”
by Barbara Rodriguez, AP Writer