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4A | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Cottage Grove Sentinel 116 N. Sixth St. Cottage Grove, Ore. 97424 NED HICKSON , MANAGING EDITOR | Opinion 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ CGSENTINEL . COM The First Amendment C ongress shall make no law respect- ing an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Govern- ment for a redress of grievances. “I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” —Thomas Jefferson (1800) USPS#133880 Copyright 2019 © COTTAGE GROVE SENTINAL Letters to the Editor Policy The Sentinel welcomes letters to the editor as part of a community discussion of issues on the local, state and national level. Emailed letters are preferred. Handwritten or typed letters must be signed. All letters need to include full name, address and phone number; only name and city will be printed. Letters should be limited to about 300 words. Letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and clarity. Publication of any letter is not guaranteed and depends on space available and the volume of letters received. Letters that are anonymous, libelous, argumentative, sarcastic or contain accusations that are unsourced or without documentation will not be published. Letters containing poetry or from outside The Sentinel readership area will only be published at the discretion of the editor. Political/Election Letters: Election-related letters must address pertinent or timely issues of interest to our readers at-large. Letters must: 1) Not be a part of letter-writing campaigns on behalf of (or by) candidates; 2) Ensure any information about a candidate is accurate, fair and not from second-hand knowledge or hearsay; and 3) explain the reasons to support candidates based on personal experience and perspective rather than partisanship and campaign-style rhetoric. Candidates themselves may not use the letters to the editor column to outline their views and platforms or to ask for votes; this constitutes paid political advertising. As with all letters and advertising content, the newspaper, at the sole discretion of the publisher, general manager and editor, reserves the right to reject any letter that doesn’t follow the above criteria. Send letters to: nhickson@cgsentinel.com When a governor undermines her own transparency (Editor’s Note: Viewpoint sub- missions on this and other topics are always welcome as part of our goal to encourage community discussion and exchange of perspectives.) from her staff, creating an en- vironment for possible political, personal and legal conflict — diminishing its ability to ensure transparency and accountability. The National Freedom of In- Open, accessible and account- formation Coalition, a national able government with freedom network of state open govern- to public information without ment groups, believes these interference from governing offices for open government bodies — or elected officials ombudspersons are critical- — is essential to our demo- ly important for ensuring ac- cratic republic. By Daniel Bevarly Executive Director, countability and responsive But that fundamental value National Freedom of Information Coalition practices in state and local gov- may be at stake in Oregon, ernments. where the newly appointed Yet their effectiveness as Office of the Public Records Ad- tion that created the Connecti- transparency advocates relies on cut Freedom of Information vocate under the Oregon Public Records Advisory Council, Gin- Commission. In Connecticut, their ability to remain indepen- ger McCall, resigned under du- the FOI Commission is housed dent and without interference ress this week, claiming pressure within the executive branch, but from the public agencies and the and interference from Gov. Kate not under the office of the exec- public officials they work along- side. utive (governor). Brown’s senior staff. In light of these developments, Its director reports to the What is happening in Ore- gon is particularly alarming. A commission’s board of directors will leaders in Oregon make the handful of states have offices to avoid conflict and interfer- Office of Public Records Advo- of “open government,” intend- ence and to keep it an indepen- cate truly independent, enabling ed to act as mediators of public dent agency. But Oregon deviat- unfettered mediation of public record disputes. These govern- ed from the Connecticut model records disputes, or will they ment agencies are diverse in the in the placement of its open gov- choose secrecy and politiciza- services they provide and the ernment office. Instead, it is un- tion of transparency? That’s yet to be seen. powers they possess. Many are der the office of the governor But we’ll be watching. established to operate as inde- with oversight from her and pendent bodies unobstructed by the executive branch and legis- lature. We’re now seeing in Ore- gon that the wall may only exist in enabling legislation — not in practice. Oregon’s legislation to create McCall’s office was largely mod- eled after Connecticut legisla- Guest Viewpoint HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPS Oregon state representatives Oregon federal representatives • Sen. Floyd Prozanski • Rep. Peter DeFazio District 4 State Senator PO Box 11511 Eugene, Ore. 97440 Phone: 541-342-2447 Email : sen.fl oydprozanski@ state.or.us (House of Representatives) 405 East 8th Ave. #2030 Eugene, Ore. 97401 Email: defazio.house.gov/ contact/email-peter Phone: 541-465-6732 • Rep. Cedric Hayden Republican District 7 State Representative 900 Court St. NE Salem, Ore. 97301 Phone: 503-986-1407 Website: www.leg.state.or. us/hayden Email: rep.cedrichayden@ state.or.us • Sen. Ron Wyden 405 East 8th Ave., Suite 2020 Eugene, Ore. 97401 Email: wyden.senate.gov Phone: (541) 431-0229 • Sen. Jeff Merkley Email: merkley.senate.gov Phone: 541-465-6750 S entinel C ottage G rove 541-942-3325 Administration Jenna Bartlett, Group Publisher Gary Manly, General Manager... 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