Transparency News 9/27/18

Thursday
September 27, 2018

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state & local news stories

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The University of Virginia spent $422,981 last month to handle the first anniversary of the events surrounding the 2017 Unite the Right rally. UVa’s academic division — which does not include the medical center — spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on labor, overtime, equipment, meals, lodging, training and transportation, according to numbers provided Wednesday. The costs reflect a trend of increased preparation by university police departments and college towns ahead of planned free speech and alt-right events.
The Daily Progress

Stafford County School Board Chairwoman Patricia Healy this week publicly refuted suggestions that her partnership in a local real estate law firm has improperly influenced her decisions as an elected official. And most School Board members backed her up, voting 5–1 Tuesday to reject a proposal for Healy to “pass the gavel” during discussions related to “development and its impact on schools.” Member Irene Egan cast the only yes vote, while member Holly Hazard abstained.
The Free Lance-Star

The Architectural Review Board in the city will have two fewer members. By a 5-0 vote, the Martinsville City Council approved a recommendation from the Planning Commission on Tuesday to reduce the group’s size and make a few other changes as well. Appointed by the city council, the Architectural Review Board generally meets monthly to ensure that any changes planned to structures of historical importance in historic districts do not harm the districts’ character. There’s just one problem. As the Bulletin reported earlier this year, the board has never actually reached its full membership. In fact, there are several months where the board hasn’t had enough members to meet.
Martinsville Bulletin

national stories of interest

The National Freedom of Information Coalition concluded its 2018 FOI Summit in Cincinnati. The annual two-day conference features presentations from open government experts and practitioners on trending government issues in state and local public institutions. Attendees include NFOIC’s state coalition directors, journalists, media lawyers and first amendment watchdogs. This year’s conference included candid discussions about FOI and open government reforms needed in state legislatures and state and local government agencies. Deliberations included the need for evidence-based research and analysis to effectively address the challenges to transparency and access surrounding public information, proceedings and officials.
National FOI Coalition

Public pension plans spend at least $2 billion a year on investment fees to high-priced Wall Street firms to boost their returns. But, according to a new report, it doesn’t appear to be paying off. The report, released Wednesday by the Pew Charitable Trusts, attributes the steep bill to the fact that more and more pension funds are putting money in alternative investments, such as hedge and private equity funds. Over the past decade, the average plan has gone from devoting about 11 percent of its assets to those types of investments to 26 percent.
Governing
 

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editorials & columns

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The term “sabotage” derives from the French word “sabot” — the wooden shoe once worn by European workers and peasants. During outbreaks of labor strife, factory workers would occasionally toss one into the machinery to jam the gears for an indeterminate period. This year’s Beacon Hill Wooden Shoe Award goes to Democratic state Representative Jennifer Benson who is the lead legislator in charge of creating more transparency in the workings of the Legislature and the government of Massachusetts in general. Ms. Benson, who heads the Special Legislative Commission Regarding Public Records, told the Statehouse News Service that the commonwealth is so far behind technologically that “current staffing and web capability” could hold back such postings. In an age where hackers can instantly set up fake “phishing” websites mimicking the real thing, and where shoppers can peruse literally millions of pieces of merchandise online, it is difficult to believe that a state as savvy about technology as Massachusetts cannot make its lawmaking process more visible. Other states have managed to accomplish this task already, including our lightly populated neighbor, Vermont.
The Berkshire Eagle