Government needs some secrets but not many

March 26, 2008 09:09 am

— While there is some justification for some secrecy in government; example the defense of our Great Nation, there is also a need for openess in government. As citizens, there is a need to know what goes on behind closed doors where decisions are made in secrecy that are being made by public officials for their own personal gain.
County and City Government officials are there to do the work on behalf of their fellow citizens. Public records are one thing that should be reviewed by those in the need to know.
I am afraid that too many times decisions are made by pubic officials to cast the die for their pet projects and the people for whom they work may or may not find out about it later.
There seems to be something fishy when a government body goes into executive session and dismisses all in attendance; including the newspaper reporter.
City and county government needs to define what is meant by “Going into executive session” and what can legally be conducted in closed secession. I believe there is a need for executive session in cases of personnel matters, but these reasons should be spelled out and defined for the public.
I will close by saying that this is not in anyway a charge of wrongdoing by our city and county leadership and I believe they have a true concern for the people they serve and across the board are doing a good job.

Eugene B. Hill, Jr.
Kosciusko, Ms .