Easley must promise honesty and openness
The governor's office isn't going to get public records laws right unless it first gets serious about honesty and openness.
Gov. Mike Easley last month asked senior assistant Franklin Freeman, a former N.C. Supreme Court justice, to lead a review of policies regarding the handling of e-mails by state agencies.
Freeman's committee, which includes retired News & Record managing editor Ned Cline, has its work cut out for it unless the governor shows he's willing to respect the public's right of access to public documents.
The e-mail issue was raised by Debbie Crane, a former public information officer with the state's Department of Health and Human Services who alleged the governor's office sent instructions to routinely delete electronic messages among state agencies.
A spokesman for the governor called Crane a liar.
It owes her an apology. Notes from other public information officers turned over to The News & Observer of Raleigh record similar instructions.
"Public records request -- increasing -- careful of email -- delete emails to/from gov. office everyday," one reads.
A lawyer for the governor, Andrew Vanore, downplayed the significance of the notes, telling The News & Observer their meaning "could be interpreted a number of different ways. ..." He also said he directed the officers who took the notes not to speak to reporters about their interpretations.
The meaning seems clear enough. The governor's office wants to keep its communications with state agencies away from the eyes of the media and the public. It can't produce public records upon request if they no longer exist. That's not just evasive; it's deceitful. It allows officials to tell the public there are no records when in fact there should be records. Worse, it makes it easier for them to issue false information that otherwise might be contradicted by official records. At the very least, deleting records fosters suspicion of state officials -- who, after all, are demonstrating their distrust of the public by denying access to inside information.
It's true that electronic communications complicate public records issues. State government can generate millions of e-mails each year, putting the pencil-pushing bureaucrats of the past to shame. A review of policies is overdue and ought to produce recommendations for better ways to allow full interaction among agencies while protecting public access. Freeman is well qualified to head this effort.
But the best ideas will be wasted unless the governor pledges that government officials will tell the truth and make openness a fundamental principle ... starting in his office.
Comments (4)
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Little late in the game for this. He ran wild for 7 years and was never questioned by the media. Now that all you read.
Posted on April 1, 2008 11:08 AM
Easley needs to be brought before a court of law. He's responsible for some of the most corrupt actions by not only law makers in our state, but the judges he has appointed into office, as well as those voted into office by attorneys who are corrupt and dishonest. My son is a current victim of the mental health corruption and fraud by not only my ex husband, but by the judges and clerk of court of Guilford County bought by Kitty Hatfield. There is no justice when a system is corrupt and the people are the victims of its crimes that goes unpunished, since law enforcement is also brought in to cover up and obstruct any type of fraud investigation. Why should the people obey the laws when the courts threaten contempt if we mention our constitutional rights. Yes we are accountable to government to pay our taxes when those employees are busy robbing and embezzling our hard earned money for their own greed by their personal crimes in business while such actions are to be covered up at all expense. I know, I called the governor about my case and my son which he has known about for years, but to no avail, since he is not a governor for the people. He's had eight years to prove he is the worst governor in the United States as documented in 2005 at the president's meeting of all governors. It is obvious that the only way to expose the corruption, as proven within the House, is to investigate all government officials, first and foremost, the judges and public servants and officers of the so called law who act under the color of law on a daily basis in our courts. Let's do a drag net clean up. You would not be surprised with what you learn if you ask those of us who have suffered at the hands of Joe Turner and his corruption along with Kitty Hatfield in Greensboro to come forward with our cases. The list is endless, since the only way Joe Turner has a job is by Kitty Hatfield extorting by cirminal financial fraud in her cases illegal campaign contribution funds and threatening all other judges and attorneys with ethics violations and disbarment through her ex federal con partner when the truth surfaces, and those attorneys paid to represent their clients are bought over and used in her crimes. I can list them all, especially those who currently serve on the City Council and the county commissioners as well. Innocent lives suffer at the hands of such corruption. It's time the people took control and got rid of such filth that plagues our government and corrupts what we all have to work so hard to have in life. Not to mention the destruction of innocent lives of our children that Kitty and Joe Turner as democracks use to carry out their crimes. There is but one honest judge in Greensboro, and that is Susan Bray. The DA's are no better than Kitty, especially Jim Kimel, Stuart Albright, and Doug Henderson who failed to report the financial fraud crimes by Kitty Hatfield using the Clerk of Court, David Churchill. He belongs behind bars and to open his books for an audit by someone other than the Administrative Office of the Courts. He, like the bimbos in the House, needs to be brought before a court of law and put in federal prison for the next 20 years. Maybe Kitty could be put with him and he would soon learn that she cost everyone their jobs by her deceit and incompetent application of the law using David Churchill and Joe Turner to conspire with her crimes through every judge Kitty uses and buys through Joe Turner's assistance. That includes the judges brought from out of county who are just as guilty and being addressed in a current federal suit underway by me. I'm ready to help anyone with a class action suit who has or is currently a victim of such corruption and abuse, as I know they exist. I suggest for any of you in the public who are not aware of how corrupt government officials are who take an oath to uphold the law as judges, lawyers, or directors of DSS, Mental Health, or attorneys for such public servants within the city or county, I suggest you spend a few days in the courts and see for yourself before you accuse me or anyone else of being bitter and angry. If it's you and your family and children being screwed illegally by those who know what they do is wrong, then cast your stones to someone else. I resent that those public servants think they have the right to trample the law and then expect anyone to adhere to the laws. That's only the tip of the ice berg. The Greensboro News and Record is just as bad in that they refuse to print the truth of the corruption within the courts, but that is obvious by the corruption of the police department and city council covering up and disposing of information that the public has a right to know. They are just as guilty as Kitty Hatfield and Joe Turner when it comes to printing libel, slander, defamation, and outright prejudicial bias without the facts in hand. Maybe Ned Cline needs to come back to the News and Record and see what goes on, since he was editor many years ago when our grass roots group exposed the corruption within the courts, that is the filth between lawyers and certain judges called the good ole boy network and the dirty dozen lawyers who make corruption what it is. Maybe those on probation who have been caught ought to squeal on those who are the ring leaders still in business. Know what I mean Marshall Dotson? You got caught for the exact same thing that Kitty lead you to do for many years. The law says you are to report her like she has put everyone else in jeopardy while she and Joe Turner carry on her crimes for him to have a job. It's a shame Joe stoops to her level of crime, but when you allow her to get away with corruption, then he is no better than she is and that is next to dirt. Honesty means nothing in the courts or public government officials who destroy others lives to cover up the crimes they breed as "officers of the law" if you will. Remeber, Joe Turner replaced Judge Daisy who started the hell in my life years ago, that Kitty carries on today, when she along with everyone else were federal defendants in 2004 when Joe was brought in to carry out her crimes of financial fraud in a case without any jurisdiction. So much for absolute immunity, public doctrine immunity, or immunity for actions under color of law when my case is now a prima facie case by their actions and the fraud by David Churchill as clearly documented in my case for Kitty Hatfield. He is poison to the courts, as Easley is to being governor and now lying his backside off to cover up what we are all suffering from and our children at the hands of murderers who care less, even though they know what they are doing is wrong and fell to stop hurting innocent lives, that includes my son Daniel.
Posted on April 1, 2008 4:33 PM
Once again, this newspaper is talking out of both sides of its mouth. Doug Johnson (no relation) is spot-on. Easley's administration has gotten a free pass from the media on everything. In healthcare alone, from "disproportionate share" to the mental health meltdown, his administration has cost the NC taxpayer millions, if not billions of dollars.
And I am sorry. The N&R does NOT get to preach on "honesty" and "openess" in government while completely ignoring my story of woe (as a Pediatrician in public service under the Hunt & Easley administrations) right under your noses!
Click the name - read the blog - and weep for me that I was ever so naive as to believe in our systems of medical & legal oversight.
Corruption thrives in this state. One of the biggest reasons for that is the way our newspapers cover those in power . . . that would be with kid gloves, a wink and a nod.
Posted on April 1, 2008 9:43 PM
Amen Sister
did you know that Ned Cline was a staffer for a former Democrat Governor? I believe he was Chielf of Staff... the News and Record Fails to report that when they talk about him Being named by the Governor to his panel on emails!
Posted on April 2, 2008 12:48 PM