From the Raleigh News & Observer (4/8/13): It is time to open up North Carolina’s government operations to the public view. The North Carolina legislature has a great opportunity this year to make state and local governments more ethical and efficient.
Some progress was made last year, with the passage of State Law 2012-169. That bill requires non-profit organizations that get more than $5,000 in government funding to make their financial statements part of the public record.
Yet that was just a small first step in the right direction. The tradition of conducting official business behind closed doors continues to enable unethical behavior in North Carolina. There is no longer any reason for this to continue, as the digital age has removed any physical barriers to full transparency. Making public information truly public, available online for all to see, will end much of the temptation for officials to stray from their duties.