Edwards Says Transparency Will Restore Trust

Edwards Says Transparency Will Restore Trust

American Society of Newspaper Editors

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 -- Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.), a Democrat seeking the presidency, told the Sunshine Week 2008: Sunshine Campaign Survey that he "will work to restore Americans' trust in their government by creating a transparent government."

Rather than answering each Sunshine Campaign Survey question, Edwards responded with a series of topical statements on a handful of issues. Edwards said he would establish an e-government system of "dynamic databases to help Americans track government spending, lobbying and campaign contributions as well as new interfaces for citizens to comment on pending bills and regulations."

The Sunshine Campaign is a project of the Sunshine Week 2008 alliance that is working to bring a discussion of open government issues to all election campaigns in 2008, from president to local city council. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who also is vying for the Democratic nomination, earlier responded to the survey, and both his and Edwards' statements are posted in full on the Sunshine Week Web site, www.sunshineweek.org.

"It's encouraging to see more candidates at all levels step up and take a stand on open government," said Pat Yack, co-chair of the American Society of Newspaper Editors' Freedom of Information Committee and editor of The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville. "Access to information is crucial to our democracy, and people should know how the men and women seeking to represent them view the issue."

Although Edwards did not address survey questions on topics such as classification, cameras in courtrooms or presidential records, he did pledge to rescind the Ashcroft memo limiting release of government information and to reduce the Freedom of Information Act request backlog. He also spoke out in defense of federal scientists, pledging that they "will be respected and they will never be censored ... or pressured to bend scientific evidence to support an ideological agenda."

Edwards chided the Bush administration for building "a culture of secrecy that dishonors America's democratic principles of government openness and accountability."

Sunshine Week is a non-partisan open government initiative led by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, with online and broadcast media, public officials, celebrities, civic groups, non-profits, libraries, schools, religious leaders and others. It is primarily funded by a challenge grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

SOURCE American Society of Newspaper Editors

Debra Gersh Hernandez, Coordinator, Sunshine Week, of American Society of Newspaper Editors, +1-703-807-2100, dghernandez@asne.org,

 
 

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