Transparency News 11/10/16

Thursday, November 10, 2016


State and Local Stories

ACCESS '16
James Madison's Montpelier
December 8, 2016
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (exact schedule to be determined)

Earlybird Registration through Nov. 18:  $30 members; $40 non-members
After Nov. 18:  $35 members; $45 non-members
Students:  $25
Donations, sponsorships: Any amount is welcome!!

Tentative line-up of panels and speakers:

• Legislative privilege -- the Virginia Supreme Court recently ruled in a case that legislative privlege shields communication with third parties in certain circumstances. Find out more about the case and contrast it with FOIA's working papers exemption.
• Proactive disclosure -- Is government information moving from an ask-and-receive model to an on-demand one? How does government decide which data sets it will make available? Can government be simultaneously transparent and opaque?
• Government and social media -- Is social media a great way to engage citizens, a quagmire for records management purposes, or a potential legal minefield of deleted comments or blocked "friends," a combination of all three. Or something else entirely?
• The business of confidentiality -- Whether it's the chemicals used in fracking, who farms hemp or what type of development a utility is proposing, businesses often don't want government to release trade secret or proprietary information about them. How accommodating should government be?
• Information in the age of Madison -- James Madison is considered the patron saint of open government. But when he said the people must have access to information, just what did he mean?

Register or Donate here


After a prayer that acknowledged the momentous shift in the future of the nation, the Hanover County Board of Supervisors turned its attention to the future of the rural county. The board authorized the Planning Commission to ramp up its preparation for the county’s review of its comprehensive plan on a schedule that would see adoption of the guidelines for Hanover’s land use and development. Board member W. Canova Peterson of Mechanicsville wasn’t alone when he stressed the importance of getting Hanover residents involved, citing past meetings with residents who became frustrated by various zoning cases in Hanover. Board member Faye Prichard of Ashland echoed Peterson’s sentiment with a quip of her own: “This is the least sexy, most important thing we touch. Call your supervisors. Keep on them.”
Richmond Times-Dispatch

What does a councilman do when a developer quietly pays him $30,000 in cash for helping him secure taxpayer funding on a project? High five, according to the developer. Norfolk Treasurer Anthony Burfoot, 50, is on trial this month in U.S. District Court on eight public corruption and perjury charges. Prosecutors allege he received numerous kickbacks and bribes between 2005 and early 2011. In exchange, prosecutors say, Burfoot voted or at least promised to vote to spend city money or otherwise help projects along. Dwight Etheridge, former president of Tivest Development and Construction, testified Wednesday that he paid Burfoot the bribes at the Treasurer’s Office in City Hall, Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro in Virginia Beach, Todd Jurich’s Bistro in Norfolk and other places across Hampton Roads. He also said he gave Burfoot a Mercedes S500, let him use his Porsche 911, paid for home improvements and routinely picked up the tab when they went out to eat and drink. Etheridge’s brother explained that he bought thousands of dollars worth of turkeys for Burfoot to hand out that day and improve the councilman’s standing in the Norfolk community. 
Virginian-Pilot



National Stories

Making the transition between administrations more open, transparent and accountable is a critical goal that transcends partisan politics. All Americans have a stake in ensuring a peaceful, efficient and effective transition process between administrations, regardless of party or politics. Given the demonstrated risks from poor management, the need to improve the presidential transition has been clear. In 2016, due to the foresight of Congress, an executive order by President Barack Obama on the facilitation of the presidential transition, and the ongoing support of his administration, the process officially began in July, not the day after Election Day.
Sunlight Foundation