Spread a Little Sunshine

San Anselmo-Fairfax Patch is participating in Sunshine Week this week by promoting and celebrating open government and freedom of information.

We aim to engage our communities in conversations about the importance of the public’s right to know; to educate our readers about the Brown Act, the California Public Records Act and so-called sunshine laws and the public records that are available, including how to get, use and decipher them; and to explain how and why journalists utilize these laws to further our core mission of covering and informing our communities well.

First, a little background on Sunshine Week, which was launched in 2005 by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. Sunshine Week is a national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include news media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofit organizations, schools and others interested in the public's right to know.  

Sunshine Week, March 13-19, is funded primarily by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation of Miami, along with the ASNE Foundation. There are games, proclamations and more all brought to you by the Sunshine Week team, which we have shared with you.

Join us at San Anselmo-Fairfax Patch and spread a little sunshine around town. Here's an action plan to help you get started, which was developed by ASNE's Sunshine Week team. This is from SunshineWeek.org:

Start with a Sunshine Week Open Government Proclamation

In recognizing earlier Sunshine Weeks, many public officials around the country issued proclamations extolling openness in government. A few introduced significant open government legislation or signed executive orders. It’s time the pronouncements become actions and the few become the many.

This Sunshine Week, we urge citizens to press the Fairfax and San Anselmo Town Councils and Marin County officials to do more, seeking not just broad statements of support for greater transparency but specific pledges and plans of action to enhance the public’s right to know.

Both town councils have taken steps to begin broadcasting their meetings over the web, making them easier to access, and both San Anselmo and Fairfax post town council meeting packets, agendas, and information online. All meetings are public (except for those with legal counsel) from sanitary district to school board.

Sunshine Week 2011 can be a time when you as a citizen or civic organization make a difference by identifying local or state open government shortcomings and then asking your public officials to pledge and initiate specific improvements in local or state law and practice.

To assist your efforts, the Sunshine Week team presents a sample Open Government Proclamation available here that you can take to your public officials to seek a commitment on open government with specific action that will lead to increased sunshine.

Like all proclamations, it begins with a general statement of the benefits of open government at every level. That is followed by a sampling of open government provisions that brought greater transparency to local and state governments around the country. We offer these as examples of the kind of specific action that may be needed in and appropriate for Marin, San Anselmo and Fairfax, or even California. We also hope these examples will inspire ideas for other openness measures that may be needed in your community or state.

Let the Sunshine Week team know if you are successful by contacting dmk@asne.org and writing "Sunshine Week Proclamation" in the subject line. We plan an “Honor Roll” on the Sunshine Week  website of government entities that adopt Sunshine Week open government pledges and/or take specific actions.

Play the You’re A Ray of Sunshine Game

The Sunshine Week team designed this game to challenge you, help you have some fun and learn about why open government and freedom of information in the U.S. is to be cherished and held to high standards. Play it here.

Get Smart about the Public’s Right to Know

Read up. There are resources for teachers, including lesson plans so young people can participate.  

But, learning about your rights isn't just for students. There’s also a host of resources on open government assembled by the Sunshine Week team. Exercising your rights to public information can be confusing, so get smart!

Read more about Sunshine Week at www.sunshineweek.org