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Sunshine Law: What They Said

Tampa Tribune

Published: November 24, 2007

Special Report: Sunshine Law

Excerpts from the commission's first public hearing:

"I find most of the media, virtually all of the media, to be very responsible." - Bob Butterworth, secretary, Department of Children and Families

"Nothing is more important to the people that we serve as how we spend their money, and nothing is more secretive from the people we serve as how we spend their money." - Paula Dockery, state senator, Polk County.

"The only good government is open government." - Jeanne Grinstead, president, Florida Society of Newspaper Editors

"The irony, while the department in most cases isn't able to release details or publicly comment on the case, if law enforcement is involved in that same case, they can release information." - George Sheldon, assistant secretary, Department of Children and Families.

"Governor Crist could start by telling his staff to post all incoming and outgoing snail mail. … It could work forward from there." - Jere Moore, former reporter and state government employee, now retired.

"We know of public and university officials, and government employees, who … use their secretary's or assistant's or other people's e-mails, so when we request copies of e-mails, they can honestly say, 'This is all we have.'" - Bob Gabordi, executive editor of The Tallahassee Democrat

"We see this in Jacksonville when members of our city council, including the most recent president, gather in town outside City Hall for private, secret meetings. No notices, no agendas, no minutes. … So extensive and so widespread were these little get-togethers that the State Attorney brought the whole matter before the grand jury." - Pat Yack, editor, The Florida Times Union, Jacksonville

"The state's Sunshine Law isn't there to protect the interests of newspapers and other media. The sunshine law is there to protect the citizen's right to know what his or her government is or isn't doing." - Patrick Rice, editor, Northwest Florida Daily News

"We've been given a rare opportunity and a huge responsibility." - Barbara Petersen, commission chair.

"The records and reports that are used to decide the merits of an inmate's plea for mercy, forgiveness, and equity in sentencing, should not be exempt from the Florida sunshine laws." - Beth Cioffoletti, West Palm Beach