A journalist’s wish list for Arizona’s next leader

Governor should uphold a standard of openness

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A few days from now Arizona will elect a new governor.

Whether it’s Doug Ducey or Fred DuVal, the winner will immediately be served a plate piled high with problems: a looming budget deficit, a lawsuit that could add a billion dollars more to the state’s education IOU, pressure to better address past childsafety failings and on and on.

The idealism of a campaign will quickly fade into the reality of balance sheets and bureaucracy.

Before that happens let me propose an important item for the new administration’s to-do list: to be more transparent than the administration of Gov. Jan Brewer, which has delayed responding to or denied access to the most basic public information.

Here are ideas gathered from colleagues on how the next administration can be more transparent and, in the process, better communicate with Arizonans:

Follow the public records law. And when there’s a gray area, err on the side of disclosure. Obvious but too often it is not what happens.

Publish the governor’s full calendar in a timely manner. The public needs to know who the state’s CEO is meeting with in their public capacity. Brewer’s office has tended to disclose only staged events.

Assign a staff member to handle public records requests. Don’t make it the afterthought it has been for Brewer’s office.

Hold regular media briefings. Gov. Janet Napolitano, and her predecessors going back more than a decade, held a standing weekly press availability. Talking to Brewer has often involved literally chasing her down as she quickly exited an event.

Require state agencies to rely on the Attorney General’s Office, not outside counsel, for advice on public records.

When disagreements arise over what can be made public, consult with the Attorney General’s Office, solicitor general or ombudsman. Involving an outside party will keep lawyers out of the process, and who doesn’t want that.

Don’t use private e-mail accounts for state business. If it’s public business, it’s a public record no matter where it’s stashed.

As I’ve listened to Ducey and DuVal I’ve wondered if transparency has lost its cache with focus groups.

In 2008, then-Sen. Barack Obama’s vow to establish “a new standard of openness” seemed to resonate with voters. But Neither Ducey nor DuVal has mentioned it on the stump. The only statements I could find were submitted in response to questions from The Republic.

“As Arizona’s state treasurer, my office has complied with FOIA requests in a timely and responsive manner,” Ducey said. “My goal is to carry a similar attitude to the governor’s office and to treat these requests in a businesslike, matter-of-fact manner.”

DuVal said, “Transparency and responsiveness is essential to ensure public confidence in the decision making process of our state’s highest office. As governor, I would require my staff to publish detailed information regarding my public schedule and quickly follow up on requests for public records. I would also regularly meet with members of the media to discuss the important issues facing Arizona.”

Neither statement seems to portend the advent of a new era of transparency. But the Obama administration has shown that talking transparency and living it are very different things.

For now, I’ll remain optimistic that things will improve under the next administration.

Sadly, Brewer has set a low bar.

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