Click here to view La Crosse Area Weather
Home > Opinion > Story
 Advertisement 

Published - Thursday, September 04, 2008

POST COMMENT | READ COMMENTS (3 comment(s))

Talking open government


.
Although public officials sometimes do not seem to appreciate openness in government, two of Wisconsin’s key laws emphasize it.

Both the Wisconsin Open Meetings Law and the Wisconsin Open Records Law emphasize that openness is essential to a democracy.
Here is how the Open Meetings Law frames the issue:

“In recognition of the fact that a representative government of the American type is dependent upon an informed electorate, it is declared to be the policy of this state that the public is entitled to the fullest and most complete information regarding the affairs of government as is compatible with the conduct of governmental business.”

In recognition of the importance of open government, the Wisconsin Department of Justice will host a series of five public seminars on public records and open meetings.

If you have any interest in government at the local or state level — or if you’re interested in a particular issue and don’t believe you’ve been given the information you need — attending one of these three-hour meetings would be very useful.

Department of Justice staff members who deal with various areas of the open meetings and open records laws, will discuss and explain the laws, and answer questions.

Here is the schedule of seminars:

  • Green Bay, 1 to 4 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 18, Northeastern Wisconsin Technical College, Center of Business & Industry, conference center lecture hall.

  • Eau Claire, 1 to 4 p.m., Friday, Oct. 10, Chippewa Valley Technical College Business Education Center, Auditorium, Room ECB 103, 620 W. Clairemont Ave.

  • Wausau, 1 to 4 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 15, UW-Extension, Rooms 1 and 2, 212 River Drive.

  • Milwaukee, 1 to 4 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 28, MATC South Campus, Lecture Hall, Room A241, 6665 S. Howell Ave.

  • Madison, 9 to noon, Wednesday, Oct. 29, Monona Community Center, 1011 Nichols Road.

    These are useful and important meetings — and good reminders that government exists to serve the people openly and honestly.
    .



  •  Advertisement 
     Tell us what you think...

     Comments »

    Myturn wrote on Sep 2, 2008 7:21 PM:

    " What in the world did the top dog at one of our two TV stations sign a pro Riverside Center II LLC Editorial for? Even if he believed it all the way down to his feet, at his job he should have remained mute. The order of events left debris and was a virtual train wreck. One only need re-read an article by Samantha Marcus. It started with something on the lines of, "I knew it, Andrea Richmond knew it, and Weber knew it." Definitely worth a goggle search and a good read again. "

    Myturn wrote on Sep 1, 2008 6:59 PM:

    " A project where one of the committees actually kicked out Council Members before they went closed door, because they were not apparently from the 'accepted list'? The only thing that is more shameful than this is the Station media bigwig of Channel 19 signing an editorial with other favored downtown recipients of creative financing. "

    Myturn wrote on Sep 1, 2008 6:59 PM:

    " What a smarmy bunch on the Editorial Board of the Tribune! The only real local paper that placed their seal on the Riverside Center project, just after the proposal was passed for the 2nd building. You remember the second building that was 'fast tracked' by taxpayers, Council Members, and the Tribune in two days? The project that I still to this day cannot find a Council Member who will state they read a contract or set of plans. A project where the exterior of the building was approved after the building was up and finished? A project where the first employee report was five months late? A project where the 2nd building tenants do not appear to be any LHI employees? "


    PLEASE NOTE: Comments on stories that frequently update through the day disappear with each update.
    The comments above are from readers. In no way do they represent the views of the La Crosse Tribune.

    Click here to report offensive or inappropriate comments. Please identify the comment you're concerned about, the story to which the comment was attached, the date of the comment and the person who made the post.

     Post a comment (150 word limit) »

    Log In - If you have already signed up with The LaCrosse Tribune, please sign in now!
    Member ID:
    *Password:
      Forgot Your Password?
     
    Sign Up - To encourage intelligent and meaningful conversation, The LaCrosse Tribune requires all commenters to register before posting comments. It's quick, it's easy, and it's free! Just fill in the information below to get started!

    **Your Member ID and password will be required to log in. Your comments will appear under your user name.

    Do not use usernames or passwords from your financial accounts!

    Note: Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required!

    Create a Member ID:
    *Choose a password:
    *Re-enter password:
    E-mail Address:
    Year of Birth:
     

    (children under 13 cannot register)

    First Name:
    Last Name:
    Company:
    Home Phone:
    Business Phone:
    Address:
    City:
    State:
    Zip Code:
     

    NEWSPAPER ADS

    LACROSSE JOBS

    TOP HOMES

    HomeSeller
    Top Homes



     
     
    Dailies
    La Crosse Tribune
    Winona Daily News

    Weeklies
    Coulee News
    Courier Life News
    The Chronicle
    Houston County News
    Tomah Journal
    Vernon Broadcaster
    Westby Times

    Regional
    Inside Preps
    My LIVE! Entertainment
    Best of River Valley
    Business Report
    Healthy Living Today
    Strictly Golf
    River Valley Bike Trails
    River Valley Blogs
    River Valley Outdoors

    Shoppers
    Tri-County Foxxy

    Marketplace
    Newspaper Ads
    Local Website Directory
    7 Rivers Rentals
    HomeSeller
    Wheels Website
    Outdoor Motors
    Work For You

    Portals
    La Crosse NET
    Winona NET

    Classifieds
    River Valley Classifieds

    Links
    Lee Enterprises

    About Us | Classifieds | Contact Us | Terms of Use | F.A.Q. | Privacy Policy | Requests | Search | RSS | Videos | Advertiser Directory | Add to My Yahoo!
    Copyright © 1997 - 2008 The La Crosse Tribune. All rights reserved.
    Material from this site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed. A Lee Enterprises subsidiary.