McGonegal supports accountability and transparency in government

This is a candidate questionnaire circulated by the Michigan Press Association (MPA) and posted on their web site at www.michiganpress.org. The MPA is the official trade association for the daily and weekly newspapers of Michigan. As you can see from Mike’s responses, he supports transparency, openness and accountability from all levels of government.
You can click on the headline above and go directly to the responses of all the candidates from U.S. Congress to the Michigan House. However, you will not find our opponent’s responses. Either he does not support openness in government – and his record reflects that possibility – or he was too busy to respond, even though the House has not been in session since Sept. 21 and not at all in the summer.

District 66
Mike McGonegal

Can you explain in 100 words or less why you think the Freedom of Information Act is important to the citizens of Michigan?
At a time when trust in government is at an all time low, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) flings open the doors of secrecy and reveals to citizens the inner workings of government. In the past, government drew the curtain of secrecy around corrupt politicians, and the FOIA restores some faith in government. For those who have the public’s interest at heart it reveals their true character, and for those that do not it holds them accountable.

In the current legislative session, there is a bill that would protect statements given by a police officer from public disclosure. Do you feel that police officers should have special rights above and beyond those of other public employees?
I would not support SB 647 or HB5414. As a former law enforcement officer, I think officers should be held to a higher standard not a lesser one. Sunshine laws have opened government up to the very people it was created for, and I would resist any attempt to shove it back into the darkness. Far too often, any excuse for keeping information from the public is abused, and it is often used to hide misconduct and questionable activity.

Do you think the current requirement regarding posting public notices in newspapers is important? I can think of no other means of economically or conveniently getting essential public information to the public and those that need the information. Newspapers have filled the role of informing the public and encouraging commerce for more than 200 years and despite the technology advances newspapers will continue to fill that role for many more years to come. I will resist any move to change that long-held tradition and public service.

If elected, would you be supportive of the Freedom of Information Act?
I firmly believe the public’s business should be conducted in full view of that public in the open sunlight, and I will resist any effort to do otherwise. Both FOIA and the (Open Meetings Act) OMA have made government transparent and accessible, and any move to shut it back behind closed doors into the smoky back rooms creates even more suspicion of government than there already exists. If anything, I want to make less exceptions to the OMA because I believe it is abused by some local government bodies.