Iowa Freedom of Information Council

Election Season “White Paper”

September 2006

• School boards hiding behind closed doors to hire administrators.

• City councils rubber-stamping decisions already made before the public meeting.        

• County attorneys turning a blind eye to open meetings and records violations.

• Government officials refusing to release consultants’ reports that were paid for with public funds, e-mails made by public officials from government computers, information about private businesses making money off government contracts.

Laws that promote open government are only as good as the government officials whose job it is to follow and enforce them.

This packet was designed by the Iowa Freedom of Information Council to provide tools of informed citizenship to help ensure open government in Iowa during the upcoming election season and beyond. These tools will help journalists and other citizens gauge political candidates’ stances on access to public information.

In the past six months, two major controversies involving, at least in part, government secrecy have rocked the state: the CIETC scandal and the debate over TouchPlay gambling. The scandal surrounding the Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium, especially, has highlighted the importance of transparency in the use of public monies and of accountability on the part of government officials. Open government laws and practices — and public officials who are committed to those values — are the key to preventing future CIETCs or nipping in the bud violations of public trust when they do occur.

In the coming weeks, candidates for governor and for other state and local offices will be visiting with citizens and media outlets, seeking support. These visits are the perfect opportunity to prod candidates to publicly acknowledge the importance of open government. The information included in this packet will help arm Iowans with the background knowledge and firepower to press political candidates on these issues.

This paper was produced by Angie DiSalvo, a senior news-Internet major in the Drake School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and edited by Kathleen Richardson, executive secretary of the Iowa FOI Council and assistant professor of journalism at Drake.

Tools of citizenship included in this packet:

• Background information on two big controversies involving open government in Iowa in the past six months.

• Other examples of open government successes and failures in Iowa.

• A list of suggested questions to ask candidates.

• A list of talking points and arguments for open government that can be used in editorials and with candidates.

• A list of suggested state and national resources that Iowans can use to answer questions about their right to government information, look up public records, submit freedom of information requests or ask for legal advice to ensure their rights to open government.

The Iowa Freedom of Information Council, organized in 1976 and incorporated in March 1977, is a coalition of organizations concerned about issues of open government. Council members include Iowa print and broadcast journalists, librarians, attorneys and educators.

                                          — Kathleen Richardson
                                               Executive secretary
                                               Iowa Freedom of Information Council
                                               (515) 271-2295
                                               Kathleen.Richardson@drake.edu
                                               http://www.ifoic.org/

CIETC

Background information:
The Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium is an employment agency formed by Polk and seven other central Iowa counties. CIETC was overseen by a board of directors appointed largely by supervisors in each county as well as the Des Moines City Council. Many of the board’s members are elected officials.
A March 31 state audit uncovered $1.8 million in salaries and bonuses to the top three CIETC executives in a 21/2-year period. Des Moines City Councilman Archie Brooks, chairman of CIETC at the time, said he didn’t realize how much taxpayer money he had given away. Other board members admitted they failed to monitor the agency’s finances. Des Moines City Councilman Tom Vlassis told state legislators he was “a rubber stamp” for the agency, whose finances have triggered local, state and federal investigations. Several months before the audit, two CIETC employee “whistleblowers” had reported the excessive salaries to the state.

Timeline (details taken from Des Moines Register articles by Clark Kauffman, William Ryberg and Jason Clayworth, dated April 6-July 30, 2006):

• The start: CIETC employees Kelly Taylor and James Quinn blow the whistle on $360,000 salaries paid to top executives.

• March 31: State audit shows CIETC CEO Ramona Cunningham, Chief Operating Officer John Bargman and accountant Karen Tesdall collected $1.8 million in pay in a 30-month period.

• April 5: Iowa Workforce Development Director Richard Running and Deputy Director Jane Barto are forced to resign after it comes to light that they had known of the excessive salaries but did nothing about it. Iowa Workforce contracts with CIETC to offer job training.

• April 6: Barto is found before dawn disposing of records in a Dumpster.

• April 6: The Des Moines Register files a federal Freedom of Information Act request for the contracts CIETC chairman Brooks sent to federal officials, as well as other CIETC-related records maintained by the Department of Labor.

• April 7: Cunningham, Bargman and Tesdall are fired.

• May 9: Records obtained by the Register under FOIA show that in February 2005 CIETC officials sent federal authorities copies of contracts for top executives that differed greatly from the signed contracts executed months later.

• May 31: Gov. Tom Vilsack’s office and the Iowa Department of Administrative Services refuse to release a written report on the involvement of state employees in the CIETC scandal. Officials cited an exemption to the Iowa open records law that allows government officials to keep secret “personal information” in workers’ personnel files.

• June 1: Vilsack releases the report earlier denied by his office.

• July 20: CIETC’s governing board votes unanimously to look for another agency to take over CIETC’s primary functions of job training and fiscal services.

Repercussions:
Before adjourning for the year, the Iowa Legislature passed legislation mandating more transparency in agencies like CIETC that administer government programs. The state ombudsman’s office also received a new staff member to act on information from whistleblowers.

Archie Brooks resigned from the Des Moines City Council on Aug. 7 following pressure from citizens and state and local officials. Brooks had approved the bonuses for CIETC top officials.

Ako Abdul-Samad — a CIETC board member, Des Moines School Board member and candidate for state legislator — became embroiled in controversy during the summer when it was revealed that CIETC misspent $180,000 earmarked for Abdul-Samad’s own social services agency, Creative Visions. Abdul-Samad admitted that he should have monitored the money more closely. A city audit later raised questions about Creative Visions’ record-keeping practices.

A federal investigation continues into the bonus practices of CIETC and the roles the Iowa Workplace Development and Polk County officials played in the scandal.
Federal investigations have been launched nationwide into bonuses paid at job-training programs.

TouchPlay

Background information:
The Iowa Lottery allowed the placement of TouchPlay gambling machines that looked like slot machines in more than 2,500 businesses throughout the state after legislators voted for expanding the lottery in 2001. Complaints were soon raised by Iowa residents that the machines were too accessible to, and made gambling too attractive for, children. Iowa casinos also complained that the lottery machines were taking business away from them. The Des Moines Register asked the Iowa Lottery for public records on where the TouchPlay machines were located and how much money was being made off them. Iowa legislators also sought such information.

Timeline (All information was gathered from Des Moines Register articles dating from Feb. 24-March 17, 2006):

• Jan. 16: The Des Moines Register requests a list of companies involved in the TouchPlay program and the Iowa Lottery’s financial statements. Iowa Lottery then released a list of locations for TouchPlay machines.

• Feb. 6: The Register orally requests more detailed information — specifically, how much money each machine is generating and who owns the machines.

• Feb. 16: Iowa Lottery Vice President Mary Neubauer asks the Register to request the information in writing.

• Feb. 17: The Register submits a written request for the information. The lottery is given until March 2 to respond, under the Iowa public records law. The Iowa Lottery sends letters to all companies that own TouchPlay machines, alerting them to the Register’s request.

• March 2: The Iowa Operators of Music and Amusements and 36 other companies “with financial ties to TouchPlay” file a petition to block public access to the records and to keep the Iowa Lottery from releasing to the Register information about the machines.

• March 3: The Iowa Lottery releases documents that show how much money many but not all machines in Iowa are making for individual companies. The records show that dating back to July 2005, Iowans put $212.1 million in the machines, generating $78.8 million in revenue for the state and the businesses that own the machines. In return, Iowans collected $133.3 million in prizes. About 6,000 machines are in operation with 4,500 being ordered and awaiting installment. The Iowa Lottery is unable to release all information due to lawsuits that have been filed to keep financial records secret.

• March 13: Hearing begins in Polk County District Court, with Des Moines Register attorney Joe Thornton arguing the media’s case for access to the TouchPlay information.

• March 14: District Judge Donna Paulsen ends a hearing on the lawsuits.

• March 16: Paulsen rules that all the information sought by the Register is public record and must be released. In her ruling, Paulsen says owners and operators failed to prove that safety and business trade secrets are more important than public interest. She writes: “Large amounts of money are at stake. The requested information will allow the public and its leaders to assess the size of the program, to see where it is most popular, to see which areas of the state are spending the most on the games, and to make a determination about whether it is advisable to continue to allow TouchPlay machines to be licensed and installed. The public has an interest in knowing where these machines are located and how much money is being spent on them. The public also has an interest in knowing how much money both the state and the private businesses involved in the program are generating.”

Repercussions:
Following the release of information to the Register, legislators were able to take a look at the figures. They also debated the perceived problems regarding TouchPlay machines, including lack of monitoring, accessibility to minors and those with gambling problems, and similarities between the machines and casino slot machines. After the debates, legislators voted to remove the TouchPlay games statewide.

Since the ban took effect on May 3, numerous businesses have sued the Iowa Lottery, saying they were misled and will lose money because of their investment in the TouchPlay machines.

Some legislators commented that the ban may not have been issued had the Iowa Lottery and businesses been more willing to share information. The secrecy raised suspicion.

Other Examples

Other examples of situations in Iowa in recent years where government secrecy caused problems for citizens and for journalists attempting to cover government on behalf of citizens:

• The Institute for Tomorrow’s Workforce, a legislatively created group that will use nearly $1 million in state money to design a link between teacher pay and student performance, met in secret in July 2006 to choose a consultant, despite protests that the closed session was not legal under the Iowa open meetings law.

• Marvin Pomerantz, a Des Moines businessman who is co-chair of the group, claimed the discussion involved “personnel issues,” and so could be closed. (Chapter 21 allows closed meetings to discuss an individual’s hiring, firing and job performance, but only when necessary to avoid injury to the person’s reputation and only when that person requests a closed meeting.)

• In 2000, Gov. Tom Vilsack’s legal counsel refused to release a draft report on the state’s handling of child-abuse cases. In 2003, the governor’s office refused to respond to requests for office e-mails, and when it was revealed that some of the e-mails had been destroyed, Vilsack explained that he “didn’t know much about technology. I don’t even know how to send . . . an e-mail.”

• Governor’s records that were originally open to the public for free were later hidden by a claim of “attorney-client privilege” and people who wanted to view them had to pay $15 an hour to have the materials screened first. The charges were instituted after the Des Moines Register wrote an unflattering story about the governor, based on the records.

• The Des Moines School Board held much of the process of hiring a new superintendent this spring in secret (even posting guards to keep the public out of interviews), including reaching its final decision behind closed doors. (The board insisted that it hadn’t conducted an illegal secret “vote.”)

• The consultant hired to help in the Des Moines superintendent search scolded parents for being “too negative” at a public hearing, saying it would hurt the search. The Des Moines search is only one example of closed-door hiring: Search firms contracted to help find public officials routinely advise public bodies to keep the names of the candidates secret and encourage candidates to request anonymity. One firm even boasts of giving candidates fake names. (Iowa law allows government bodies to keep the names of job applicants secret if they request it.)

• Irate Des Moines leaders this year threatened to launch an investigation to find out who leaked a secret list of candidates for the city manager’s job after it was published in the Des Moines Register. Public pressure forced the City Council to open up the interview process somewhat after originally announcing that the interviews would be done in private. Citizens were allowed to attend the hearings but not to ask questions.

• Waukee, Iowa, hired a new city administrator this summer after conducting the entire process — including narrowing the candidates down to three finalists and then making the final choice — behind closed doors. The City Council denied violating the open meetings law, which requires government bodies to take final action in public, even though before the final public vote the new city administrator had turned in a resignation letter to his old bosses that included his starting date in Waukee.

• The Wapello County attorney this year filed unusual civil charges against the Ottumwa Cemetery Board after a state audit accused the board of holding multiple illegal closed meetings.

• The Iowa Department of Public Safety was pushed to put more crime and accident information available online and at Iowa Patrol posts after a series of articles in the Des Moines Register in 2005 pointed out how agency policy kept much of the information confidential or inaccessible.

• A petition filed by residents of the Eagle Grove Community School District with their local school board this spring was deemed “confidential.” The school board president took possession of the petition, but denied the local newspaper access to the document, saying that it represented “personal information” in the personnel file of a district employee — the one being criticized by the petitioners.

Suggested Questions for Candidates

All candidates:

• If elected, how would you improve access to government information — public meetings and public records — under your control?

• In many instances where public bodies refuse to release information, they cite the exception to open records law that shields “personal information” in workers’ personnel files. Open government advocates are concerned that this exception is often abused to hide information that the public has a right to know. If elected, how would you address this concern?

• Similarly, many government bodies at all levels routinely keep the names of job candidates secret — sometimes conducting the entire hiring process behind closed doors. How would you ensure more openness in the hiring process of your agency?

Gubernatorial candidates:

1. How would you create the kind of atmosphere in your administration, and among your staff, to make sure the public has access to public information?

2. The Iowa Department of Public Safety recently was pushed to make more crime and accident information accessible to the public. How would you ensure accessibility of information in every state agency?

Legislative candidates:

1. There is a general feeling of distrust of public officials, especially after the CIETC scandal. How would you use the practice of open records and open meetings to combat that feeling of distrust and share what you are doing and why with your constituents?

2. The Legislature has been criticized over the past several years for retreating behind closed doors to deal with controversial issues, such as the state budget and large-scale livestock farming. How would you increase openness of the legislative process?

3.  In the past two years, the Legislature has enacted eight amendments to the public records law that make more public information confidential. What is your response to this pressure for more government secrecy?

Why Open Government Is Important

• Access to government information helps educate voters so they can discuss issues intelligently.

• Releasing records helps alleviate distrust of government by giving citizens the same information that is available to elected officials.

• Open meetings and records laws allow people to see not only a government body’s final decision, but also the rationale behind that decision.

• Residents are entitled to know what is going on in their government, because they pay the taxes and they have a right to know where their money is going.

• If public officials can’t stand in the open and tell the people what they’re doing and why they did it, then they shouldn’t be doing it.

• Public officials turn minor problems into major ones when they try to close things when they have no right to do so or no good reason to do so.

• Keeping records open gives confidence to the public that the system is working for the people and not against them.

• Elected and appointed officials must be constantly aware that they are accountable for their actions.

Suggested Resources

• Iowa Freedom of Information Council publications: www.ifoic.org

       (then click on “Publications” link on left)

• Pocket-size booklets: $2 each or text available for free on the Web site

• Open Meetings, Open Records Handbook: text of Chapters 21 and 22 of the Iowa Code, plus and questions and answers about the laws, and a sample public records request letter.

• Expanded Media Coverage Handbook: text of Iowa FOI Council and judicial branch rules governing electronic coverage of Iowa courtrooms.

• Keeping Iowa Open: A Guide to the State’s Access Laws and the Courts: primer on the state’s “sunshine” laws and court system for journalists new to Iowa.

• Fliers:

• A Journalist's Guide to Openness in Iowa: summarizes the Iowa Code regarding open meetings, open records and access to law enforcement. (Published in conjunction with the Iowa Newspaper Foundation.)

• Openness Defense Fund: Offers support for litigation and programs to educate Iowans on the laws regarding access to government records and meetings.

• Campaign Finance Information:

Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board: www.iowa.gov/ethics/index.htm
Federal Election Commission: www.fec.gov
Follow the Money: www.followthemoney.org
Open Secrets: www.opensecrets.org

• The Iowa Broadcasters Association: http://www.iowabroadcasters.com/

• Offers a legal hotline to members. A national hotline is also available for members.

• The Web site lists legal and regulatory information specifically for broadcasters.

• The Iowa Broadcast News Association: http://www.ibna.org/

• IBNA members get free answers to questions concerning open meetings, public records and court proceedings.

• A quarterly publication is also available. It contains information on new products, industry trends, association news and editorials.

• The Iowa Judicial Branch Web site: http://www.iowacourtsonline.org/

• View basic case information (case titles and filings, criminal charges, case dispositions, child support payments and fine payments) for free and additional information for a fee.

• A new section offers resources for reporters, including a glossary of legal terms, explanation of the Iowa court system and how to read a legal decision.

• Iowa Newspaper Association’s public notices Web site: http://www.publicnoticeads.com/ia/

• All public notices that have been published in participating Iowa newspapers.

• Notices include hearings, advertisements for bids, financial reports, adoption of ordinances and other government activities legally requiring public notice.

• Legal Resources:

• Iowa State Bar Association: http://www.iowabar.org/

• Iowa Trial Lawyers Association: http://www.iowatla.org/

• Legal Services Corporation of Iowa: http://www.iowalegalaid.org/

• Drake University Law School and Legal Clinic: http://www.law.drake.edu/

• University of Iowa Law School and Legal Clinic: www.law.uiowa.edu

• State of Iowa Resources:

• Office of the Attorney General: http://www.iowaattorneygeneral.org/

• Office of Citizens’ Aide/Ombudsman: http://www.legis.state.ia.us/ombudsman

• Iowa Legislature and Iowa Code: www.legis.state.ia.us/

•  

• Government Associations: Web sites contain information about Iowa law. These associations can also help resolve access issues by advising public agencies about what the laws require or by explaining how public agencies interpret the law.

• Iowa Association of School Boards: http://www.ia-sb.org/

• Iowa League of Cities: http://www.iowaleague.org/

• Iowa State Association of Counties: http://www.iowacounties.org/

• Iowa Journalism Schools: faculty can answer or provide insight to questions dealing with journalism practices and ethics.

• Drake University: http://www.drake.edu/journalism/

• Iowa State University: http://www.jlmc.iastate.edu/

• University of Iowa: http://www.uiowa.edu/jmc

• University of Northern Iowa: http://www.uni.edu/chfa/dep_comstudy.html

• National Resources:

• First Amendment Center: http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/

• The Reporters Committee on Freedom of the Press: http://www.rcfp.org/

• Student Press Law Center: http://www.splc.org/

• The Brechner Center for Freedom of Information: http://www.brechner.org/

• University of Missouri Freedom of Information Center: http://foi.missouri.edu/

• National Freedom of Information Coalition: http://www.nfoic.org/