No specific reason needed to access public information
Confession: I was a little uncomfortable with some information I received at a school board meeting last month.
At the meeting, the board approved the "master contract," which sets the pay scale for all USD 410 teachers. Included in the information the board members handed out was a list of all the district's teachers, complete with each one's salary.
And that's what made me a tad uncomfy. Here were the people I knew, talked to, worked with — and the amount of their paychecks was right in front of me.
It seems a little nosy. A tad voyeuristic. After all, I wouldn't want everybody knowing what I make.
But as I've thought more about it over the recent weeks, I've realized that I had no reason to feel uneasy. Because what I was viewing was public information.
And it's available to everyone.
No matter if it's information about the public school system, the city, or the nation's capital. As a citizen of the United States, you and I have the right to know what our government branches do and how they spend our tax money.
That's the purpose of the Open Meetings Act. The Open Records Act. The Freedom of Information Act.
These statutes make it clear that what our school districts and governments do is, in fact, our business. The law protects our right to know, no matter what our motives are.
Last week, I called a local governmental body asking for information about a meeting. Since I wasn't able to attend it, I asked that the secretary to fax me the minutes.
Her question to me: Why do you need them?
I told her the reason — for a story. But in retrospect, I didn't need a reason. I could have said, "Because it's public information. Because we live in America."
So go to the next school board meeting — even if you don't have kids in the system anymore. Attend the next county commission meeting. Find out how much your elected officials are making.
Take advantage of public information — it's your right as an American.
— JENNIFER WILSON
