Mike McGonegal for the Michigan House

Mike McGonegal is running for the Michigan House of Representatives from the 66th District, and this is his official campaign blog. It is monitored and posted b y his Communications Director.

10/30/2006

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.

6 Comments:

At 3:49 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

i go with the idea that cops got to be accountable because if you're a good cop nothing to wory about and if you're not then this can help joe citizen so the cop cant pull no fast ones. I like cops but like some of them priests they are not all saints.

 
At 4:45 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Guru,

You claimed that Ward has never had a job in the private sector or the real world? What about a paper route?

 
At 5:08 PM, Blogger Communications guru said...

Al,

You will have to ask Mr. Ward if he ever had a paper route. I would not consider that a job where you can support yourself, and that’s what I’m talking about. The kind of job I’m talking about is the kind that if you lose it you are going to go hungry or end up on the streets.

Every bio I have read for Mr. Ward- the one on the Republican House Caucus or the on his campaign web site - list only government jobs. I would call that a career politician, wouldn’t you?

 
At 8:18 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

This can't be true this man has never had a real job no wonder he does not know how to act a kid will eat as many cookies as he can and will keep on doing it until he gets caught.Ward has been caught! He can now look for work as a wine wholesaler salesman and I saw what that wine guy said.

 
At 11:20 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Mike. I found you were endorsed by Triangle Pride PAC. I'm from Ann Arbor, but it is good to see some diversity being spread to Brighton and Howell.

 
At 9:44 AM, Blogger Communications guru said...

Thank you for taking the time to post here, Adam. Its’ really just a matter of basic fairness to us.

 

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