Although you wouldn’t know it from the grey, stormy skies, it is “Sunshine Week” in Michigan, when newspapers throughout the state remind their readers how important open information is to the public.
We all have to be watching how our elected representatives are spending our tax money. We want to see what they do with what we have to earn by the sweat of our brows. We can insist they stop, if necessary.
At the state level, the two political parties in charge have agreed not to have the House and Senate and other officials under the Open Meetings Act, although many had said they would do that as part of their campaigning.
It is embarrassing to live in a state that is one of the few in the nation who won’t let the public look at their finances with FOIA. But, we have to leave that to the daily papers to report on with the staffs they have. We tiny papers can watch what is right here our community and point out what you, our readers, are being denied.
We have yet to find out how much the new city hall is costing. OK, no new tax for it. But, how much of the residents’ tax money that you already have?
It took until this week for the public to learn that Google will operate Van Buren Township’s new data center. It was a big secret. Also, Sumpter Township residents should be told what, exactly, is being done with the $140,500 construction in the supervisor’s area, approved without bids. We need a lot more Sunshine around here.
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