Transparency and Ethics

There are those who believe that government is not transparent enough.  I am one of those.  The workings of government should be open for the public to see and understand how and why policy exists unless there is a compelling reason that such information would risk the safety of innocent citizens, do harm to economic development possibilities, or similar sensitive situations.

There are those, however, who use such code words as transparency and ethics only when it suits their agenda.  Other times they are quite willing to look the other way and miss blatant lapses of both.

Recently a number of organizations, most recognized as being closely associated with the Democrat candidates and the Democrat Party, banded together in a project they call Transparency Virginia.  Such organizations as the Virginia chapter of the National Organization of Women, the Poverty Law Center, Virginia ACLU, Virginia Organizing, and a dozen others anointed themselves arbitrators of transparency in the Virginia General Assembly.

In a news release earlier this month, they raised some issues that are fair for discussion.  They criticized the House of Delegates committees and sub-committees for not bringing proposed legislation up for recorded votes.  Likewise, they criticized those sub-committees for killing bills without having recorded votes.  These are legitimate issues for discussion.  We in the Senate, however, do require each bill assigned to a committee to be subject to a recorded vote.  Yet they stretched their criticisms to actions of the Senate.

Their report also was critical of the Senate stating we occasionally hold committee meetings on the Senate floor.  This is rare but sometimes needed, not to avoid public input (the media is invited to observe), but rather to meet certain deadlines.  These meetings are called when it appears that the proposed legislation will have an impact on the budget.  If the originating committee does not approve the bill and send it to the Finance Committee by a set deadline, the bill dies.  Once it is before the Finance Committee, there is ample opportunity for public input.  The report fails to point this out.

These procedures have been in practice for years and years.  Some might ask:  Why do the organizations listed above suddenly find practices of years past unacceptable now that the committees are chaired by Republicans, when they never raised these issues when Democrats chaired all the committees?

It will be interesting how these same groups respond to Secretary Hillary Clinton’s very un-transparent money raising activities.  Will NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia have media releases condemning the Clintons for raising hundreds of millions of dollars for their foundation from foreign countries and while her husband was paid over sixteen million dollars for speeches during the period Hillary Clinton was using her influence as Secretary of State?

Likewise, it will be interesting to hear the Governor’s thoughts on Mrs. Clinton’s ethics.  He made legislation regarding the ethics of state and local officials one of his key legislative accomplishments this year.  Can he ignore the misdeeds of his friends, the Clintons, after the revelations of the last week and those that are likely to arise in the coming weeks?

If we are going to be ethical and transparent in some cases, it seems fair that we should in all cases.

We love to hear from you!  You can contact us at Sen.Ruff@verizon.net, 434-374-5129, or Post Office Box 332, Clarksville, VA  23927.