THE NO-SHOW ILLINOIS HOLIDAY

By: Adam Andrzejewski
March 24, 2008

“It is the public policy of this State that public bodies exist to aid in the conduct of the people’s business and that the people have a right to be informed as to the conduct of their business.” (5 ILCS 120/1)

Little noticed in Illinois, National Sunshine Week (from March 16-22) passed non-eventfully. 

Sponsored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Sunshine Week is a national initiative to open a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information.  At www.sunshineweek.org, there is a listing of websites, organized by state, dedicated to transparent and open government.  According to the Sunshine list, Illinois has only one such website:  Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s self-titled site, namely Ensuring Open and Honest Government (http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/government/index.html). 

According to the Elmhurst Press, published by Suburban Life Newspapers, "Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan bills herself a champion of open government and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reform."   It would serve the state of Illinois well if Madigan would actually live up to her billing and champion open government and FOIA reform. 

However, a review of freedom of information requests received by her office in 2006 and 2007 reveals that she is late almost half the time in responding to information requests.  More particularly, in 225 of 537 FOIA cases, Madigan's office did not respond within the statutorily mandated seven working days.  In 42 out of every 100 cases, our self proclaimed “champion” of the Illinois FOIA violates the letter of the law!  And she is the top law enforcement officer in Illinois!

When the Better Government Association did a 2006 study of 408 government units in Illinois, it found that 62% failed to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests by regular citizens.  School districts were the most egregious offenders with FOIA requests, being complied only 29 times out of 100!  This spring, The Suburban Life Newspapers asked Cook, Kane and DuPage counties for a copy of their Comprehensive Emergency Response Plan.  Cook and Kane provided copies and DuPage County flatly refused--  a gross violation of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act!

The resistance to open Illinois government and the hubris of our elected officials starts at the top.  For nearly two years, Governor Rod Blagojevich would not turn over federal grand jury subpoenas of his office to the Better Government Association (BGA).  On March 3, 2008, Blagojevich lost in court and turned over the subpoenas. But tens of thousands of taxpayer funds were spent defending Blagojevich, while thousands of dollars of BGA donations were spent fighting him.

Ubiquitous attempts to close government in Illinois and the numerous failures to comply with the FOIA, stand in marked contrast to the words of the most famous Illinois politician, Abraham Lincoln, who declared in his Gettysburg Address that we are a government "of, by and for" the people. 

From the top elected official to the top law enforcement official, filtered down to the local government units, Illinois government is a fortress that resists a true partnership with its people.  All to often, the spirit of public service in Illinois is not directed toward the service of the people.

In 2008, National Sunshine Week passed non-eventfully in Illinois. 

We have a say in how the next year passes!  The future begins now for citizen demand for full government transparency and accessibility of public records.  Citizens are demanding transparency and accountability in how taxpayer monies are being spent by Illinois government. 

OPEN UP THE BOOKS!  LET THE SUN SHINE IN!
For The Good Of Illinois