Government ‘transparency’ has gone too far
moncler saldi outlet by Mitch Daniels August 13 moncler saldi outlet
moncler outlet trebaseleghe Dave Eggers’s 2013 novel “The Circle” depicts a world outlet moncler where demands for “openness” annihilate privacy and personal autonomy, creating a dystopian nightmare. Public officials in the tale try to outdo each other in going “clear” by wearing body cameras and microphones every waking moncler bambino saldi moment. For most readers, the book is farfetched science fiction, but for those active in public life, Eggers’s conception doesn’t seem all that implausible. moncler outlet trebaseleghe
moncler donna It’s hard to determine when too much of a good thing becomes truly too much. And the more laudable the goal, the harder it generally is to reel in the excess, because any suggested retrenchment is viewed as an abandonment of the goal itself. At the risk of being misconstrued, I venture the heretical thought that we have overshot in the pursuit of governmental “openness” and “transparency.” moncler donna
moncler outlet serravalle There’s no question that American government at all levels is better off for the open door and open record reforms of the past half century. Knowing that the public piumini moncler saldi is watching, public officials generally behave more responsibly in the conduct of their duties. moncler outlet serravalle
piumini moncler saldi I’m a true believer. As the director of the Office of Management and Budget in the early 2000s, I worked in perhaps surprising collaboration with Ralph Nader to open the federal government’s contracting process to broader public inspection. During my service in Indiana as governor from 2005 to piumini moncler uomo 2013, we made moncler saldi uomo similar changes as a part of wider ethics reforms. piumini moncler saldi
moncler saldi uomo But even water has a fatal dosage level. Too much moncler bambino outlet exercise moncler outlet online uomo can be unhealthy. Attempts to eliminate almost all forms of confidential interaction in government come with downsides. moncler saldi uomo
moncler bambino saldi We’ve seen the unintended consequences of overzealous reform before. Badly needed civil service and procurement reforms initially worked, but they expanded over time until they paralyzed the federal government to a comical degree. Federal employees are in greater danger from a lightning strike than termination for lousy performance, and the procedures for buying, say, a new computer are so byzantine that the machines are outdated by the time they arrive. moncler bambino saldi
piumini moncler scontatissimi The current obsession with transparency is starting to take a similar toll. In a host of ways, government has been rendered less nimble, less talented and less effective. piumini moncler scontatissimi
moncler bambino outlet Honest people are now compelled to become scofflaws moncler saldi in the good faith pursuit of their duties. Under “open meeting” requirements forbidding members of governing bodies moncler uomo to confer privately, the result is furtive hallway conversations or “executive committee” meetings moncler outlet where the discussion might not technically fall into click over here https://www.moncleroutlet-i.org moncler outlet the category of exemptions moncler saldi outlet that permit such meetings. moncler bambino outlet
piumini moncler uomo Open records laws have had the same effect. Government took a serious wrong turn moncler outlet serravalle at the dawn of the email era when somebody decided that these online exchanges are “documents.” Every emailer knows that, perhaps apart from attachments, they are conversations. piumini moncler uomo
moncler outlet I’m rarely on a conference call with other public university presidents that doesn’t include someone reminding the group: “No emails!” Even the most deliberative of discussions is vulnerable to later being spread across a newspaper front page. moncler outlet
piumini moncler In sarcastic moments, I sometimes point out the gaping loophole in our public records laws: moncler donna Public officials are talking on the phone, and we don’t know what they’re saying! Clearly, we need a wiretap on every government line and, while piumini moncler we’re at it, their home and cellphones. And we’ll need surveillance cameras because, next thing you know, they’ll switch to speaking in person! piumini moncler
moncler outlet online shop Overall capability in government suffers, too. The excessive background checks and disclosure demands of today’s federal employment discourage countless talented people from serving. I watched the number and quality of aspirants to Indiana state moncler outlet online shop judgeships decline over the years. Like many other states, Indiana requires the immediate public identification of interested judicial candidates, and far too many outstanding lawyers, worried about angering their law firms, clients or employers, stay on the sidelines. moncler outlet online shop
moncler saldi Maybe the worst net negative effect of the openness obsession is on the spirit of compromise moncler outlet trebaseleghe a spirit that is prized, ironically, by many transparency advocates. There is a reason the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was held privately and no official minutes were kept. Men who argued fiercely against certain provisions preserved their ability to accept second best outcomes, and to go home and advocate ratification of the overall agreement. moncler saldi
piumini moncler outlet None of this is to suggest a major rollback; we are better off for the sunshine. But for the best of reasons, “transparency” has risen to sacred status, and even moderate change will be difficult. A news media accustomed to rummaging through email records and visitor logs may be especially unsympathetic. Still, it’s time for us all to consider broadening the definitions of what communications should remain confidential and piumini moncler scontatissimi to grant more leeway for the kinds of meetings that are often essential piumini moncler outlet to producing workable compromises piumini moncler outlet.