• from the Kitsap Sun, April 28, 2009:
“[Islander and City Manager supporter Bob] Fortner said eliminating the mayor position will spread power among the seven-member council, making government more accountable and transparent.”
That was then. This is now:
• from The Bainbridge Review, May 20, 2009:
“Beginning tomorrow, the Vote Council-Manager ‘09 campaign committee will meet privately with members of the city council and the administration to express what they have learned from their interactions with the community.” [emphasis added]
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From the White House:
“Government should be transparent. Transparency promotes accountability and provides information for citizens about what their Government is doing. …
“Government should be participatory. Public engagement enhances the Government’s effectiveness and improves the quality of its decisions. Knowledge is widely dispersed in society, and public officials benefit from having access to that dispersed knowledge. Executive departments and agencies should offer Americans increased opportunities to participate in policymaking and to provide their Government with the benefits of their collective expertise and information. Executive departments and agencies should also solicit public input on how we can increase and improve opportunities for public participation in Government. …
“Government should be collaborative. Collaboration actively engages Americans in the work of their Government. Executive departments and agencies should use innovative tools, methods, and systems to cooperate among themselves, across all levels of Government, and with nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individuals in the private sector. Executive departments and agencies should solicit public feedback to assess and improve their level of collaboration and to identify new opportunities for cooperation.” …
