Reps. Goodrich, Cook, Jeter, Schaibley vote against government transparency
I’d like to take a moment to commend Tim Timmons, publisher of a competitor newspaper, The Times, for a recent column he authored about a push from the state legislature to remove public notice advertising from newspapers.
House Bill 1498 proposed government notices be published on individual government websites instead of publishing them in newspapers.
Voting in favor of H.B. 1498 were local state lawmakers Chuck Goodrich, Tony Cook, Chris Jeter and Donna Schaibley.
Timmons, in his column, asked his readers to vote the four lawmakers out of office. “Vote their sneaky asses out of office,” wrote Timmons.
I agree with Timmons – publishing public notices on government websites limits exposure.
How many people wake up each day and say to themselves, “I need to check the websites of nearly thirty different government offices and entities in Hamilton County to see what’s happening”? My guess is the number is far less than the number of people who get a local newspaper delivered each morning.
I can’t speak for Mr. Timmons, but I’m willing to give you a newspaper for free, public notices included; however, the same legislative body that wants to limit public notice advertising requires me to charge you to read local news.
That’s right.
Lawmakers say for me to be a newspaper, I must charge you to read it.
Let’s also remember there is a large number of older taxpayers in this community who aren’t computer savvy. They find it difficult to surf the web. And, on a statewide level, not everyone has access to high-speed internet, which creates even more of a problem. Also consider the cost of internet far exceeds the $12 annual subscription fee for The Reporter.
State lawmakers will point to advertising cost to justify their reasoning for no longer publishing notices in newspapers. They also say newspaper readership is declining. Timmons said “poppycock” to their line of thinking. I say their statement is uneducated and foolish.
At a time when an increasing number of people distrust government, how do lawmakers justify limiting the transparency of their work?
H.B. 1498 failed; however, it may be revisited, and it is not the only proposed bill regarding public notices in this session.