Editor’s Note
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Obama lessons for local government

January 21st, 2009 at 03:30pm Linda Grist Cunningham

Among the things the new president did today were three that ought to become “best practices” here at home.

He froze salaries for White House staff earning $100,000 or more, about 100 people in all.

He signed new Freedom of Information Act rules, making it harder to keep the workings of government secret.

And, he tightened up ethics rules to reduce potential conflicts of interest with guidelines about when administration officials can work on issues on which they previously lobbied governmental agencies, and banning them from lobbying the Obama administration after leaving government service.

Let’s see: freeze wages, open up government so the public knows what’s going on, and make sure conflicts of interest don’t derail good government. What’s good for the Obama administration ought to be good enough for the local folks, too.

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1 Comment Add your own

  • 1. pundit84  |  January 21st, 2009 at 11:19 pm

    I think you are right on target. I would also go one step further. The city/county administrative staffs should do one day a month of community service without pay. The mayor and county board chairman should do this as well. Remember lead by example! It is better to give than to receive.

    Freedom of Information would be a welcomed relief. Releasing the results of the police survey would be a start. The Rockford Global Alliance would be another area.

    Conflicts of interests! Hmmmmm! Alderman Doug Mark are you listening? The realtors and land developers on the city council might be another area of conflicts of interests. Also, the biggie is the Riverwalk along the mayor’s family’s real estate interests as well as campaign contributors’ buildings.

    These are just a few areas to address. I know there are many more.

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