TruthToTell, Mon., July 25 @9AM: BUDGET SECRECY:Opening Windows on Government -

TruthToTell, Mon., July 25 @9AM: BUDGET SECRECY:Opening Windows on Government - KFAI FM 90.3/106.7/KFAI.org

TruthToTell, Mon., July 25 @9AM: BUDGET SECRECY:Opening Windows on Government - KFAI FM 90.3/106.7/KFAI.org

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It’s was an episode to do Naomi Klein proud. The author of The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism should have been taking notes for her third revision of that seminal book on crisis management and the use of chaos to push through unConstitutional policy and legislation based on fear-mongering and tight deadlines.

President Obama and Speaker John Boehner – essentially leaving the Senate, let alone the public – out of the loop – continue to meet behind closed doors. Then, there’s the US Senate Gang of Six – more secret meetings with direct fiscal effects on American and Minnesota lives – with no input from us.

Such was the case with the newly “negotiated” deal struck between Governor Mark Dayton and the GOP legislative majority leadership last weekend – deals and dynamics that all took place behind closed doors – inside the “cone of silence” – ostensibly to allow greater candor between the parties.

Think about this. Why is candor reserved for hidden talks and not for public consumption as our tax dollars are made to work against the general well-being, not to mention the vast majorities of Minnesotans willing to pay a bit more toward a balanced budget without saddling our kids with future debt and slicing and dicing the all-important  state programs and services that actually help us all?

Worse, the Capitol itself was locked down to citizens and visitors. And just as disturbing was the absence of citizens and visitors knocking on those doors to get a look at the resulting process and package.

Secrecy is a public leprosy eroding public confidence in government more deeply than even the normal frustrations we feel with the occasional snail’s pace of bureaucracy and the unjustified decisions government agencies can impose. Secrecy is infecting every corner of government, leaving the public out in the cold to participate in and understand the agreement, bills, laws, rules and regulations – not to mention the unspoken barriers to access thrown up to citizens and the media by lawmakers and agency officials alike.

Crisis management reared its ugly head again earlier this last week when the bills written in the dark by Mr. Dayton and the GOP and presented to the full House and Senate under cover of speed and secrecy were barely seen even by those whose job it is to vote on these matters, let alone analyze them for their effect on constituents. Why the rush? Of course, 22,000 state employees, not to mention constituents were clamoring for a restart of state government.

CommonCause/Minnesota worked to ensure at least a 72-hour deliberation and study period for the bills submitted and passed without a moment’s discussion or a single amendment allowed during the Special Session Gov. Dayton called. Of course, the three-day period was rejected on the grounds that – Naomi, are you listening? – it would prolong the already protracted state government shutdown. Crisis decision-making at its finest. Skip the details. Pass the bills, open the doors and get those workers back on the job. What more could they have done? Plenty.

Two DFL legislators – Rep. Mindy Greiling and Sen. John Marty – have introduced bills that would require open processes in all legislative work, but primarily all budget negotiations between and among legislative leaders and even between those leaders and the governor.

TTT’s ANDY DRISCOLL and MICHELLE ALIMORADI talk with open government advocates (are there any real secrecy defenders out there?) and examine the trend toward increasing secrecy in all aspects of public governance and media coverages.

REP. MINDY GREILING – DFL Lead, House Education Finance Committee

MIKE DEAN – President, CommonCause/Minnesota

RICH NEUMEISTER – longtime public interest citizen lobbyist and award-winning open government activist and blogger

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