Sunday Opinion: Demanding accountable, open government

We’ll start in Lake Placid, where the Adirondack Daily Enterprise thinks out loud about whether the school superintendent, Randy Richards, will be able to keep his job after calling female teachers in his employ “bitches.”

Maybe Mr. Richards only said foolish, offensive things in a single private conversation (albeit a professional one), or maybe it’s a pattern of behavior, as Ms. Mulderig’s lawyer is trying to establish. Our reporters are looking into that, and board members need to do likewise. If it’s a pattern, the board will probably have to remove him from his $125,000-a-year job. If it’s an isolated incident, perhaps it merely deserves some internal penalty in addition to his welcome apology.

The Plattsburgh Press-Republican and the Burlington Free Press use their editorial pages today to demand that state governments work toward more open, accountable procedures.

The Press-Republican urges Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign a bill — already approved by the legislature — that would require local and state officials to provide better information to the public.

The bill would require that certain records, scheduled to be the subject of discussion at an open meeting, be made available before or at the meeting. In an effort not to impose too heavily on the government, the bill is worded to specify that the records be made available “to the extent practicable.”

It could hardly be less burdensome to the government, and it would add an important weapon to the public’s ability to make government accountable.

The Free Press, meanwhile, chides Vermont courts for not taking more seriously the process of handing out search warrants.

The state courts must end their cavalier handling of search warrant records that leaves Vermonters vulnerable to abuse and with no way to hold law enforcement agencies accountable.

The recent inability of the courts to track down any information about an Essex County search warrant after they were executed is representative of a troubling lack of oversight over the state’s power to override a basic right.

The Glens Falls Post Star, meanwhile, chimes in with a thumbs-up for Governor Cuomo’s income tax plan.  The newspaper notes that Gov. Cuomo has so far focused on cutting state costs.

But the state should be trying, at the same time, to make as much money as possible. Thus, Gov. Cuomo’s willingness to consider the legalization of casino gambling, as a way to increase tax revenue. Similarly, even though he took office pledging not to raise taxes, the governor’s tax package makes sense in the face of the state’s persistent budget shortfalls.

Finally, the Watertown Daily Times celebrates the award of $103 million for North Country grants and projects.

The state funding will make a big difference. Much credit goes to Mr. Douglas, president of the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce, and Mr. Collins, president of Clarkson University, for presenting the north country’s vision for economic growth. This is a very positive development.

Tags: opinion, politics