Transparency is a key element

A recent post on a social media site hit the nail on the head.

“When citizens ask questions of their government, it means there is not enough transparency and communication. It doesn’t mean they are looking to discredit the elected officials and staff. Whose money is this anyway, and who are the government’s ‘customers’? If citizens don’t ask, who will?”

Those words came from Stacy Crimmins.

We, at the Saratoga Sun, think these are wise and true words.

Newspapers have been asking for transparency in public meetings for as long as they have been in business.

Transparency in government is not just a local issue, it is a national issue.

As a society, it is our job to ensure that government is working in our best interests.

In a republic, we as individuals have a right to disagree or question decisions made by towns, states or the country.

Requests for transparency is not an “us versus them”. It is a “why this and not that”.

That is what many people are asking when it comes to transparency in government.

As a people, we have a view of how government works from the outside. The people who work in government have a view from the inside. Many times those views conflict and those of us on the outside are trying to understand the decisions made, without the benefit of the inside view.

Transparency means sharing that inside view.

It is the newspaper’s job to quell rumors and report facts. When people question why, we seek the answers and try to share what is fair.

We, at the Saratoga Sun, naturally have our own personal bias. Many times, our political views are different amongst each other. But we do our best to keep bias out of our reports and present only the facts.

This is why transparency from the government is essential: without it, our staff cannot present the facts to the public.

Once the facts are presented, if citizens disagree with the government, they can voice their opinion and ask questions. That is an inalienable right we have in America.

Our ability to question our government is what is so great about our nation.

Questions create discussion. Discussion encourage citizens to look at problems and help find a solution together.