Transparency in Tulsa!

This month I am focusing on the meaning of the word “transparency.” This term has been used recently in the news regarding government affairs on the local, state and national levels. In fact, president-elect Barack Obama is including this concept of transparency as he forms his new government.

Transparency implies openness, communication and accountability. It is the opposite of privacy. An activity is transparent if all information about it is freely available. Transparency includes open meetings, financial statements, the Freedom of Information Act, budgetary reviews, audits, etc. In politics transparency is used as a means of holding public officials accountable and fighting corruption.

What does transparency do for us? Transparency has everything to do with our trust in a person or an entity. Transparency in government lets us see through the proposed actions and understand what is at stake. Effort is made to inform and include those that are affected the most in the decision making process. There are no hidden agendas.

To be exclusive instead of inclusive creates distrust and suspicions. It makes people feel powerless to affect their quality of life. This in turn leads to disagreements, arguments, and potential litigation. It creates a divide or barrier which polarizes our community.

Let’s face it, we all want a piece of the “good life” for ourselves and our children. We want great public education, safe and comfortable neighborhoods, a decent job and a healthy environment to live in. Our leaders and citizens should be working together to make this happen for the best interests of everyone.

Unfortunately, in Tulsa there has not been transparency at all levels in the public policy making processes. Therefore there is a growing wave of distrust and anger by some residents. Trust is easy to lose and very difficult to regain.

I do commend our Mayor Kathy Taylor for her promotion of the use of the city website to make lots of information available to the public. Our city was way behind in the IT area and it affected its ability to operate efficiently. I applaud her efforts to add transparency to her administration.

Our new PlaniTulsa process has also worked to be inclusive and transparent. Right now, we trust that this will continue until the process is finished. As citizens of Tulsa, we should all take some time to engage ourselves with our own ideas for the future and share with the PlaniTulsa process.

There is a perception by some that to operate in a transparent way is messy, time consuming and leads to extended delays. This can be true sometimes, but it does help gain the trust and cooperation of the people-tax payers and voters alike.

Let us all reflect on the true benefit of transparency in all we do-TRUST!