A new series appearing in The Topeka Capital-Journal and its sister newspapers across Kansas should alarm everyone in the state. Whats more, it should spur us all to action.
Crafted by Statehouse reporters Tim Carpenter and Sherman Smith, the stories included in the Capitol Offenses series are already distressing.
We learned about the long-term leases entered into by Gov. Sam Brownbacks administration in its haste to empty the Docking State Office Building. These have chained down the state for a generation, while the Docking continues to moulder, simply for lack of basic maintenance.
We learned about an ex-dental program instructor at Topeka Correctional Facility who now faces sex crime charges, accused of abusing inmates. The first complaints about the instructor came more than two years ago, but he stayed on the job through November.
We learned about former Republican senator Tom Arpke, who was hired by Gov. Jeff Colyer as regulatory ombudsman for the executive branch. His office location was changed to Salina so he could bill taxpayers for his drives to Topeka. Gov. Laura Kellys office stopped the payments.
In each one of these cases, behavior that carried long term consequences financial or legal was undertaken quietly, out of view of most lawmakers or the public. In each one of these cases, alarms would have been raised far earlier if people simply knew about the conduct.
Thats why, regardless of your party or position, transparency is so important. When a single administration or faction holds power for many uninterrupted years, behavior or choices can slowly become unexamined. Deals can be struck and friends rewarded not necessarily out of malice, but simply because the government has become a familiar, comfortable place.
A new party or faction taking power will invariably reveal shortcomings of predecessors. Thats as it should be, but it points to how critical it is that transparency be baked into government processes whenever and wherever possible. The public should know about contracts and contractors, about discipline and the disciplined.
Questions should be asked and answered promptly.
We are fortunate indeed to have such devoted reporters as Carpenter and Smith to detail these cases. But they are only two men, and the state of Kansas has a sprawling network of government offices and operations.
The more government business we do in the sunlight, out in the open, the healthier our democracy will be, each and every day.
