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The Better Government Association has released its 2008 BGA-Alper Integrity Index report which, “…ranks states on the strength of laws relating to transparency, ethics, and accountability in government.” Overall, Idaho ranks 44th out of 50 states. |
From the Better Government Association website:
Founded in 1923, the Better Government Association is an independent, non-partisan government watchdog. Our mission is to combat waste, fraud, and corruption in government by conducting investigative research and litigation to expose problems; researching policy solutions promoting transparency and accountability in government; and using internship programs to train the next generation of investigators and public interest lawyers.
The BGA-Alper Integrity Index ranks states on the strength of laws relating to transparency, ethics, and accountability in government. Originally published in 2002, this updated edition of the Index rates the performance of states in five areas of law: open records, whistleblower protections, campaign finance, open meetings, and conflicts of interest.
The 2008 BGA-Alper Integrity Index rates Idaho 44th among states, down two notches from our ranking in 2002. The 2008 BGA-Alper Integrity Index press release for Idaho includes these observations:
Idaho ranked 44th among all fifty states overall. By issue area Idaho ranked 24th in open records laws; 9th in whistleblower laws; 29th in campaign finance laws; 44th in open meetings laws; and 48th in conflict of interest laws. With its number 44 overall ranking, Idaho achieved a modest 39% overall score.
“Idaho managed to beat out six other states” said Stewart, “however, there is clearly a lot of room for improvement. If you look at the percentage score, Idaho received 39%, the equivalent of a F letter grade, hardly a cause for celebration.”
Anyone who has observed Coeur d’Alene’s urban renewal agency commissioners and the North Idaho College Board of Trustees at work will not be surprised to see that Idaho ranks 48 out of 50 in applying its conflict of interest laws.
anyone who has observed the state legislature gop caucus at work will not be surprised to see that idaho ranks 44th in open meetings laws.
Comment by reagan — November 15, 2008 @ 10:14 am
Open meeting laws seem to be routinely ignored by many of our area officials. NIC’s board has an Executive Session before every meeting. Then they come out to hold their meeting, or as they describe it: “it’s not a public meeting, it’s a meeting in public”. They also say they “speak with one voice”, so none of the individually elected Trustees are able to voice any opposition in public.
These policies do not appear open, accountable or transparent in any way.
Comment by mary — November 15, 2008 @ 10:31 am
The evidence that our public officials make decisions in private, away from the public, is insurmountable. Here’s just one example:
http://opencda.com/?p=590
Comment by Dan — November 15, 2008 @ 11:10 am
reagan,
I agree completely that just because a legislative body can conduct business in secret does not mean it should. Any state, county, or local legislative body that deliberately and knowingly violates the Idaho Open Meeting Law as the Coeur d’Alene City Council, the LCDC, and the NIC Board of Trustees do, should not be shocked or surprised when we, the people, no longer trust them once we’ve uncovered their efforts to deceive us. Unfortunately, neither do they care. That’s the arrogance of dishonest public officials. The BGA report reflects that.
Comment by Bill — November 15, 2008 @ 3:00 pm
Boy I wish BGA had a rating for cities. I wonder how low CDA would be on that Poll?
Comment by Will Penny — November 16, 2008 @ 5:34 am
Will Penny,
Ratings like the BGA-Alpert Integrity Index are useful to the evaluated parties only if those parties are genuinely and honestly interested in improving the way they do business. Our city government, including the LCDC, would prefer to use taxpayer money to pay out-of-state pollsters and PR flacks to deliver fictional accounts of the way they would like to be seen, not the way they are.
Comment by Bill — November 16, 2008 @ 7:09 am
Dan thanks for the reminder on Dixie. I remember that during a Coeur d’Alene City Council meeting, a local citizen asserted that Mrs. Reid had a conflict of interest concerning her business dealings with LCDC. What if anything became of these allegations?
Comment by doubleseetripleeye — November 17, 2008 @ 9:42 am