Thomas Worthington
Ohio s sixth governor (1814-1818) was an enlightened man.
Worthington s words are etched in glass in a framed display in the crypt of the Statehouse, a back-lit reminder of the importance of the citizenry s right to know.
Sunday marks the annual observance of the News Leaders Association s Sunshine Week underscoring the vital value of open government and access to public records and meetings.
Amid so-called alternative facts and a divisive dialogue often consumed with competing claims of truth, public records provide a basis for ferreting out fact and calling out fiction.
“Transparency in government processes and decisions and the public having access to the records related to those decisions is increasingly important, said Monica Nieporte, executive director of the Ohio News Media Association.
Picture of health in America not so rosy
Lieberman
For end-of-the-year columns, it’s customary to recap the events of the past 12 months, usually highlighting a mix of the good and the bad. Because this (past) year has been dominated by health, in particular COVID-19, and my beat is health, it seems fitting to reflect on where we are. Where we are is not good.
A headline in the Los Angeles Times seemed to sum up the current state of the U.S. health care system: “Bodies pile up, patient care falters as COVID-19 devastates L.A. County hospitals.” In the Times’ story a hospital critical care nurse says, “No one would believe this is the United States.” Indeed, they would not.