E-mail 'drafts' on Glenwood death kept secret
A couple things:
1) There's a death at a state-regulated care facility and the state regulators appear to be asleep at the wheel; and
2) The Des Moines Register reports that, during this period of time, the governor and his family are on holiday in Florida, at the residence of their longtime family friend of nearly 40 years, Bill Knapp, who coincidentally happens to have donated $112,500 to Culver's '06 campaign and at least $25,000 toward his re-election.
Well, three things, counting the comments readers posted.
3) Wow, commenter JackDM, you sound like a government insider. But like many people who post comments on the Des Moines Register's web site, you perpetuate ignorance. And by the way, if you want to refer us to a law, just give us the code chapter and section so a few of us can at least try to follow along, instead of ensuring none of us can because you don't have the digital fortitude to paste a functioning web address.
As a member of the free press, I feel the Register has an obligation to get to and report the facts regarding the handling of public government matters, just as any other citizen. As regular citizens, we should encourage their efforts to shed light on matters of public interest.
After all, public employees and elected officials have no right to privacy in their government jobs and offices, except in narrow and well defined circumstances. Nearly every action they take should be known or knowable to the public. If they act reasonably in their dealings, then they have little cause for concern. This issue isn't remotely related to the right of privacy we enjoy as citizens in our own homes. Public business on taxpayer time isn't protected.
So to the state, I say open up and be transparent; own your actions, whether right or wrong. People have a tendency to forgive honest errors in judgment, but lack of honesty and integrity is shameful.
And to the person that said court records aren't available online, check the state's judicial web site, if you have the brains, and you'll see they are!
If the story's true, I say good job Register!
1) There's a death at a state-regulated care facility and the state regulators appear to be asleep at the wheel; and
2) The Des Moines Register reports that, during this period of time, the governor and his family are on holiday in Florida, at the residence of their longtime family friend of nearly 40 years, Bill Knapp, who coincidentally happens to have donated $112,500 to Culver's '06 campaign and at least $25,000 toward his re-election.
Well, three things, counting the comments readers posted.
3) Wow, commenter JackDM, you sound like a government insider. But like many people who post comments on the Des Moines Register's web site, you perpetuate ignorance. And by the way, if you want to refer us to a law, just give us the code chapter and section so a few of us can at least try to follow along, instead of ensuring none of us can because you don't have the digital fortitude to paste a functioning web address.
As a member of the free press, I feel the Register has an obligation to get to and report the facts regarding the handling of public government matters, just as any other citizen. As regular citizens, we should encourage their efforts to shed light on matters of public interest.
After all, public employees and elected officials have no right to privacy in their government jobs and offices, except in narrow and well defined circumstances. Nearly every action they take should be known or knowable to the public. If they act reasonably in their dealings, then they have little cause for concern. This issue isn't remotely related to the right of privacy we enjoy as citizens in our own homes. Public business on taxpayer time isn't protected.
So to the state, I say open up and be transparent; own your actions, whether right or wrong. People have a tendency to forgive honest errors in judgment, but lack of honesty and integrity is shameful.
And to the person that said court records aren't available online, check the state's judicial web site, if you have the brains, and you'll see they are!
If the story's true, I say good job Register!
