passopenrecords.org

“Who in their right mind would be against this bill, and think they are going to get elected next year?” Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-Fayette).

“It’s time for us to clean up state government. Providing access to public records is an essential function of government agencies and an integral part of the fundamental duties of public officials and employees.” Sen. Jim Ferlo (D-Allegheny).

“If everything’s right, and we’re above board, we should not be afraid to give records to the public.” Sen. Richard Kasunic (D-Fayette).

“It is called open government for a reason. They need to quit dilly-dallying and get the work done.” Angela Zimmerlink (Republican Commissioner, Fayette County).

“The presumption should definitely be shifted so that all records not specifically exempted are considered open, but we want to be certain that all necessary and proper exemptions are included.” Rep. Jaret Gibbons (D-Beaver).

“You can’t have excellent government without accountability, and part and parcel of that is total and complete transparency.” (Mark DeSantis, Republican candidate for mayor of Pittsburgh).

“We have to put the trust back in Harrisburg. We, the people in Harrisburg, we need to be statesmen, not politicians. We need to work for the people, not the lobbyists.” Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-Fayette).

“The trick is not to write the exceptions so broadly that they swallow the rule.” Teri Henning, general counsel for the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association.

“The confidentiality (of email messages between lawmakers) is really important. There are times when strategies are taking place in all four of the caucuses that are important to the legislation. I think that’s an area that needs to be thoroughly looked at before a vote is taken.” Rep. Paul I. Clymer (R-Bucks).

“This is not window dressing. We are very serious about this.” Sen. Richard Kasunic (D-Fayette).

“It’s the people’s government. To me that means people shouldn’t have to bear the burden of proving that certain records are public. Unfortunately, that’s the way it is now under Pennsylvania’s current Open Records law.” Sen. Andrew Dinniman (D-Chester).

“This is probably the most important legislation we will be doing this year. It is about the taxpayers’ money.” Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-South Union).

“Pennsylvania’s citizens have every right to know what their government is doing and spending on their behalf.” Sen. Constance Williams (D-Montgomery).

“What we need to do is get that credibility.” Sen. John Wozniak (D-Cambria).

“We think the public has the right to access public records. We are very serious about this. It is our intent to make sure we have one of the best open records laws in the land.” Sen. Richard Kasunic (D-Fayette).

“Meaningful reform on open records is necessary and the time is now. Providing access to public records is one of the fundamental duties of public officials.” Sen. Jim Ferlo (D-Allegheny).

“There are going to be open records laws passed in Pennsylvania. The records need to be more available so that the public is more informed about what is going on in state government.” Sen. John Wozniak (D-Cambria).

“I have always and will always support open records.” Sen Gerald LaValle (D-Beaver).

“I am happy to support a strong open records law for the citizens of Pennsylvania.’ Sen. Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny).

“As we heard over and over again at today’s hearing, Pennsylvania is not a shining example of a state that fully respects the public’s right to know. Our aim is to change that.” Sen. Andrew Dinniman (D-Chester).

“[A] Department of the Auditor General’s interim report disclosed last week that PHEAA’s bonus program is far from being a model because of its lack of transparency. Our auditors found that PHEAA has given $6.4 million in bonuses to hundreds of PHEAA employees over the past three fiscal years. Moreover, we found that the bonuses paid to PHEAA’s top 23 executives, including an additional $1.1 million given last month, were counted as annual salary, thus dramatically increasing the executives’ retirement pension payments.” Jack Wagner (Auditor General of Pennsylvania).

“If you need any reminder as to why [an improved open records] law is so important, we need look no further than PHEAA, the student loan agency that has become a political hot potato in recent weeks. The whole purpose of a new Open Records Law is to ensure transparency and accountability in the governing process, and if there was ever an agency that desperately needs some transparency and accountability directed its way, it is certainly PHEAA.

“The outgoing CEO of PHEAA, Dick Willey, who will receive a salary/bonus combo package of $469,975.00 this year. His pension will be a stomach-churning $370,000.00. And in case you haven’t lost your lunch yet, Dick Willey is just one of 23 high-paid executives over at PHEAA who have also authorized lavish board meetings at swanky resorts and an employee appreciation day at Hershey Park valued at $108,000.00 of our tax dollars.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m offended. I’m offended as a member of the General Assembly, I’m offended as a taxpayer, and I’m offended as someone whose monthly student loan payments total more than his mortgage payment. This is a perfect example of someone caught with their hand in the public till, and there is simply no excuse for this sort of garbage. The purpose of PHEAA is to help families send their children to college, not for Dick Willey and his cronies to get fat on the government dime. How many children could have received additional grants or student loan forgiveness if these guys hadn’t been busy sticking the money in their pockets in the form of bonuses?

“There are some that say that PHEAA should allow such spending in order to recruit top talent to lure talent away from the private sector. I would respectfully submit that such a theory is quite simply a load of crap. PHEAA has always been a public agency, so anyone coming on board should have known right from the start that it wasn’t a private company. When you’re dealing with taxpayer dollars, you have a solemn obligation to spend them in the best way possible, if you have to spend them at all.

“I have co-sponsored several bills that will dramatically reform the governing of PHEAA, because these shoddy excesses simply cannot be allowed to continue unabated. In the meantime, I will continue to push for an updated Open Records Law to ensure that if groups like PHEAA are abusing the public trust, we can identify and end the abuse before the damage is irreparable.” Rep. Jesse White (D-Allegheny).

“The quest for information in the county’s civil suit settlement illustrates why an open records law is so vital to the community and the public’s right to know. Without such legislation, news organizations such as The Sentinel, as well as the average citizen, would not be able to serve as a watchdog, a keeper of truth. Thankfully, people’s voices, and requests, are being heard loud and clear.” Lewistown Sentinel.

“We are optimistic for an October vote, but not sure that there will be a vote this week,” Deborah Musselman, a lobbyist for the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association.