When public business becomes private, a newspaper can make its own Sunshine Law

The Sunshine Law says, in effect, public business shall be conducted in public. The need for that law is created by public employees who know that their activities and decisions are not in keeping with the public's best interests.

It's that simple, though the law itself is not so simple and I have written about it here.

That public employees would even consider hiding the public's business from the public is pure insolence. It is an insolence occasioned by the attitude of public employees that the public assets entrusted to them are no longer public, but are now roadways to their personal power.

The public's business encompasses every single word that is spoken and/or written by public employees, or to public employees, regarding the public's business. Every sheet of paper in every government building belongs to all citizens. Every e-mail sent by a public employee regarding public business belongs to the public and therefore should be open to public scrutiny.

So where's the argument about whether these matters are public's business or not? Public employees, no matter how important they are, or think they are, are employees of the people. When they agree to work for the public, it is implied that they owe allegiance to the public.

If public employees meet with businessmen and lobbyists - Kraner, Reese, vendors, or Joe Blow - it is the public's right to know what is being said. When a newspaper reporter is excluded, or not notified, it is fair to assume that the reason for that is the best interests of the public are being endangered.

I credited the Advocate for having drawn a line in the sand over this matter with public officials. Recently, there appeared an editorial entitled "City's view of Sunshine Laws is a bit cloudy." So far, the Advocate's line in the sand is also cloudy because government secrecy will not go away as a result of a few editorials.

Reporters have to do like they used to do - which is know where government employees are grouping and with whom. And then they ballsie their way through the door and sit there with pen and pad.

Should they get out-muscled at the door they go back to the newsroom and they name names, editorialize, maybe go to court, keep bitching about it, and use it as ammo the next election.

With a newspaper determined enough to do that, the community has its own Sunshine Law.