Seeking transparency for the benefit of all

The NAACP Santa Fe Branch commends our New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver for proposing regulations that will require disclosure of political donors and expenditures by independent PACs. We hope these regulations will be approved prior to the next general election (“Secretary of state revises her proposal on campaign contributions,” July 26).

Those who govern us have become far too secretive in conducting their duties. Rank-and-file citizens are kept in the dark about important political processes. Our Congress recently proposed sweeping health insurance bills drafted in secret without committee hearings; the president has refused to release his tax returns; the White House has refused all Democratic requests for important information; the White House has refused to release visitor logs; too often White House news conferences cannot be videoed; news conferences are sometimes only open to select members of the press; and our state governor has resisted many freedom of information requests.

Often, those most impacted by this secrecy are the poor, people of color, people in the LGBTQIA community and others marginalized by our politicians. Open government must supersede the privacy wishes of political donors. We must guard against secrecy in government whenever we can. Indeed, an informed public is the bedrock of democracy. Our secretary of state seeks to promote transparency for the benefit of all. Her website for public comment on the regulations remains open.