A Look at Transparency and "Open Government" issues in Lake Washington School District

"What is the definition of government transparency?
When we talk about transparency in government, we mean that citizens must be able to 'see through' its workings, to know exactly what goes on when public officials transact public business. Government that is not transparent is more prone to corruption and undue influence because there is no public oversight of decision making."

--By Judy Nadler and Mirham Schulman
  Center for Applied Ethics
  Santa Clara University, CA. 3/06

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"A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."

-- James Madison, letter to W.T. Barry, August 4, 1822

Madison is often referred to as the “Father of the United States Constitution.” His priceless contributions to the founding of the nation include co-authoring along with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton the Federalist Papers which apart from the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution itself, provided the philosophical framework and intellectual justification for the Bill of Rights and government we know today.

It is therefore fitting that one of the state’s top government watchdog groups. Washington Coalition for Open Government, presents it’s highest honor each year in Madison’s name to an individual or organization that exemplifies a deep commitment to open government,

-- Bob Yoder
Resident, Parent, Volunteer at LWSD
redmondblog@gmail.com