Although that is the intent also of California's Ralph M. Brown Act and Public Records Act, the people of California have learned from costly experience that every generation of governmental leaders includes officials who feel more comfortable conducting public business away from the scrutiny of those who elect and employ them. New civic issues and new governmental procedures also can erode the public's fundamental rights. Violations of open government principles occur at all levels, from local advisory boards to the highest reaches of the state hierarchy. It is time for San Francisco to reaffirm the plain purpose of the state's open government laws and to apply their underlying principles to local circumstances. No law is self-enforcing.
Continued vigilance is essential.
As government evolves, so must the laws designed to assure that the process remains visible. The people of San Francisco want an open society. They do not give their public servants the right to decide what they should know. The public's right to know is as fundamental as its right to vote. To act on truth, the people must be free to learn the truth.