Accountability and Transparency

The public trust of government officials and elected bodies is perhaps at an all time low. As elected official and public servants, we have to do better. Recent accounts in local papers show we clearly can do better.

At the Sacramento City School District, the previous Board approved an illegal retirement scheme that has cost our schools millions of dollars. Those are dollars that should have gone into classrooms. Instead those dollars went to litigation and undeserving top administrators; because previous Board Members did not ask the questions we elected them to ask.

Recently, as a current School Board member, I was asked to approve a $1.4 million contract - sight unseen. I objected and the matter was put over until adequate School Board oversight and public input can take place.

At the City, we recently learned that the former City Treasurer changed the terms of the City’s $73 million loan to the Sacramento Kings without City Council approval. In fact, the Council was never made aware of it. That is inexcusable.

As elected officials, we have to hold our staff accountable just as we should be held accountable to the public. And we have to ensure that the public has the information they need to hold us accountable. That is transparency that leads to accountability.

As President Truman said, “The Buck Stops Here.”