Pioneer Press Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:01:03 -0700
State open-government law loses strength if citizens don't know it
"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance. And a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge brings. ... Citizens of our state are blessed with one of the strongest data practices laws in the country. This law guarantees a high degree of public access to government data and requires government to collect and use personal data in adherence to fair principles. However, in the real lives of citizens, the Data Practices Act (DPA) may seem meaningless. This lack of meaning stems in large part from the high levels of ignorance, i.e., the lack of knowledge and education about the DPA, among the media, government officials and, saddest of all, the citizens who are given significant rights by the act. "
[[keywords: Legal;Officials;Maplewood;]]
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