January 26, 2020
Transparency: something visible, easy to see, open. In government, transparency means knowing what your representatives (elected and candidates) are doing, how they are spending your money, how they are representing you for the greater good of all. Seems simple enough. So why, in government, is the notion of transparency so controversial and its achievement so elusive?
We are now in the throes of a national situation which begs for transparency, the impeachment of Donald Trump. It is the systematic and pervasive lack of transparency which has led our nation into this crisis.
The perplexing and daunting task, for those of us who demand transparency and accountability, is the large-scale acceptance of behaviors which stifle transparency, namely, lying, secrecy, obfuscation, and more. The bottom line is that if we do not expect or demand that our leaders, at all levels, are open, honest and transparent, we encourage corruption, apathy, waste and, worst of all, a lack of actions which benefit the greater good of all. We all need to get informed, stay informed and make our leaders accountable at all times.