NGOs, say more! Citizens, say less!

NGOs, say more!

Secretive non-government organizations that rely on significant public funding continue to pose knotty access issues.

In Richmond, the Virginia Performing Arts Foundation had to be pressured into giving Richmond’s Mayor Doug Wilder (and others) a detailed monthly financial report. Auditors suggested that the foundation be required to provide a monthly balance sheet and income statement; totals on conditional and unconditional pledges; pledges restricted to a certain amount of work and to a specific purpose; construction costs in general categories and updates on construction-cost estimates.

The reports are now online at http://www.vapaf.com .

In Fredericksburg, Wilder came under fire for not insisting on more transparency with his $100 million (give of take a few million) U.S. National Slavery Museum project. The difference, said Wilder, was that Fredericksburg had not formally asked for the type of detailed financial reports that the City of Richmond was requiring of the Performing Arts Foundation.

However, several members of Fredericksburg City Council said they might contribute money and waive some construction-permit fees if museum officials were more forthcoming about the project. The museum released a copy of its 2004 tax return, but only after first refusing to accept the Free Lance-Star’s written request for it. Federal regulations require that such returns be made public.

Citizens, say less!

Portsmouth City Council set a five-minute time limit on citizen speeches. To the Virginian-Pilot editorial page, that seemed a reasonable change from a “tiresome litany of borderline slander, exultations of restaurant menus and stream-of-consciousness rambles about no pertinent business in particular.”

The editorial writer added: “Free speech is a great thing. So is getting to the point.”

The editorial also noted that citizens are still able to e-mail, call, and speak without restriction during public hearings.