Transparency News 11/18/16
Friday, November 18, 2016
State and Local Stories
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY FOR EARLY-BIRD PRICING TO VCOG'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE. CLICK THE BLUE BUTTON ABOVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE LOWER PRICE TODAY!
TODAY IS ALSO THE DEADLINE DATE FOR APPLICATIONS TO THE CHIP WOODRUM LEGISLATIVE INTERNSHIP TO BE POSTMARKED
It may be months before Virginia Beach citizens have any sense how much money light rail advocates spent to influence their votes on Election Day – and the sources of that money may never be made public. Light Rail Now, which operated “educational” campaigns seeking yes votes under different names, is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. It did not form a referendum committee or disclose donors this year, though it did so in 2012, when light rail was last on the ballot here. The use of nonprofits to influence elections has grown increasingly prevalent in elections in recent years. At times, this prevents the public from knowing who pays to influence them, according to an advocate for campaign finance transparency. The nonprofits can but do not always disclose donors. Nonprofits that spend for political purposes but do not disclose the source of their funds are using what is called “dark money.”
Princess Anne Independent News
Since first hearing that a high-speed rail will be making its way through some portion of Hanover County, residents and County and Ashland Town officials have sought any information that could indicate the future of the county. From attending meetings to calling government entities, residents have made a strong attempt to have their voices heard during the planning process. Though no route recommendation has been made, Ashland has attempted to learn more about the process by requesting and obtaining a draft of the Environmental Impact Statement that will be a factor for the Federal Rail Administration’s final decision. At 1,426 pages, the document is dense yet provided no new information for Town and County officials. “We didn’t see much that we didn’t already know,” Bucky Stanley, Supervisor for the Beaverdam district said.
Herald-Progress
Twenty-three companies that received public money for projects during a 10-year period failed to meet state grant requirements, according to an audit released this week. The state should have recouped an estimated $8.7 million, but the agency in charge – the Virginia Economic Development Partnership – didn’t seek to recover the money, the report said. That was just one part of a highly critical audit of the partnership released Monday by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the state’s legislative watchdog agency. JLARC concluded the companies failed to meet at least one of three performance requirements: jobs created, capital investment or average wages.
Virginian-Pilot
When federal agents raided the business office of Ronnie Boone Sr. in June, he thought they were there about his relationship with Norfolk Treasurer Anthony Burfoot. He knew from the news that the feds were investigating the city’s former vice mayor, and he knew he had provided him several undocumented loans and political contributions over the years – not to mention free use of his Kitty Hawk, N.C., beach house. Boone testified Thursday that he was quick to point investigators to the file on that beach house to keep them from tearing up the place.
Virginian-Pilot
National Stories
Steep legal bills aren’t just an issue in New York. In large cities across the country, court challenges can be a drain on municipal coffers. To gauge the fiscal impact of claims and lawsuits, Governing requested financial data from the two dozen largest cities in the U.S., the first such national review of comprehensive legal costs. Twenty cities responded, and their combined financial information paints a picture of just how significant these claims costs can be. All totaled, the cities paid out more than $1.2 billion in their last fiscal year. It’s a big problem, and it’s not getting any better.
Governing
Editorials/Columns
The Williamsburg-James City County School Division is looking for a new superintendent, but don't expect to hear anything about it until the School Board announces its selection early next year. That's because the board plans to conduct the search in private — with the assistance of an outside consulting firm but with no direct input from local residents. The consultants plan to talk with members of the community in broad terms about what they would like to see in a new superintendent. But the actual search will be done behind closed doors, and residents will not get to meet with the candidates or learn anything about them. The consultants believe, probably correctly, that they will get a broader range of candidates if they can promise to keep the applicants' names secret. But the community, especially the parents whose children attend public schools, deserve the right to play a more active role in choosing the person who will be steering the ship.
Daily Press
DONALD TRUMP HAS NEVER held elected office. So it’s possible he thinks he can run the the Executive Branch like one of his private companies. But the president-elect does not own the Department of Transportation, the US Navy, or any of the other agencies under his command. We do. And we, the people, under the Freedom of Information Act, have a right to access the material they produce, unless it falls under one of nine exemptions. Whether you’re a Trump supporter or street-marching protestor, there’s no shortage of questions worth asking.
Columbia Journalism Review
TODAY IS ALSO THE DEADLINE DATE FOR APPLICATIONS TO THE CHIP WOODRUM LEGISLATIVE INTERNSHIP TO BE POSTMARKED
It may be months before Virginia Beach citizens have any sense how much money light rail advocates spent to influence their votes on Election Day – and the sources of that money may never be made public. Light Rail Now, which operated “educational” campaigns seeking yes votes under different names, is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. It did not form a referendum committee or disclose donors this year, though it did so in 2012, when light rail was last on the ballot here. The use of nonprofits to influence elections has grown increasingly prevalent in elections in recent years. At times, this prevents the public from knowing who pays to influence them, according to an advocate for campaign finance transparency. The nonprofits can but do not always disclose donors. Nonprofits that spend for political purposes but do not disclose the source of their funds are using what is called “dark money.”
Princess Anne Independent News
Since first hearing that a high-speed rail will be making its way through some portion of Hanover County, residents and County and Ashland Town officials have sought any information that could indicate the future of the county. From attending meetings to calling government entities, residents have made a strong attempt to have their voices heard during the planning process. Though no route recommendation has been made, Ashland has attempted to learn more about the process by requesting and obtaining a draft of the Environmental Impact Statement that will be a factor for the Federal Rail Administration’s final decision. At 1,426 pages, the document is dense yet provided no new information for Town and County officials. “We didn’t see much that we didn’t already know,” Bucky Stanley, Supervisor for the Beaverdam district said.
Herald-Progress
Twenty-three companies that received public money for projects during a 10-year period failed to meet state grant requirements, according to an audit released this week. The state should have recouped an estimated $8.7 million, but the agency in charge – the Virginia Economic Development Partnership – didn’t seek to recover the money, the report said. That was just one part of a highly critical audit of the partnership released Monday by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the state’s legislative watchdog agency. JLARC concluded the companies failed to meet at least one of three performance requirements: jobs created, capital investment or average wages.
Virginian-Pilot
When federal agents raided the business office of Ronnie Boone Sr. in June, he thought they were there about his relationship with Norfolk Treasurer Anthony Burfoot. He knew from the news that the feds were investigating the city’s former vice mayor, and he knew he had provided him several undocumented loans and political contributions over the years – not to mention free use of his Kitty Hawk, N.C., beach house. Boone testified Thursday that he was quick to point investigators to the file on that beach house to keep them from tearing up the place.
Virginian-Pilot
National Stories
Steep legal bills aren’t just an issue in New York. In large cities across the country, court challenges can be a drain on municipal coffers. To gauge the fiscal impact of claims and lawsuits, Governing requested financial data from the two dozen largest cities in the U.S., the first such national review of comprehensive legal costs. Twenty cities responded, and their combined financial information paints a picture of just how significant these claims costs can be. All totaled, the cities paid out more than $1.2 billion in their last fiscal year. It’s a big problem, and it’s not getting any better.
Governing
Editorials/Columns
The Williamsburg-James City County School Division is looking for a new superintendent, but don't expect to hear anything about it until the School Board announces its selection early next year. That's because the board plans to conduct the search in private — with the assistance of an outside consulting firm but with no direct input from local residents. The consultants plan to talk with members of the community in broad terms about what they would like to see in a new superintendent. But the actual search will be done behind closed doors, and residents will not get to meet with the candidates or learn anything about them. The consultants believe, probably correctly, that they will get a broader range of candidates if they can promise to keep the applicants' names secret. But the community, especially the parents whose children attend public schools, deserve the right to play a more active role in choosing the person who will be steering the ship.
Daily Press
DONALD TRUMP HAS NEVER held elected office. So it’s possible he thinks he can run the the Executive Branch like one of his private companies. But the president-elect does not own the Department of Transportation, the US Navy, or any of the other agencies under his command. We do. And we, the people, under the Freedom of Information Act, have a right to access the material they produce, unless it falls under one of nine exemptions. Whether you’re a Trump supporter or street-marching protestor, there’s no shortage of questions worth asking.
Columbia Journalism Review
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