Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously said that 'If the broad light of day could be let in upon men's actions, it would purify them as the sun disinfects'. Sunlight is the disinfectant that leads to honest governance. If government is to have a moral center it must be transparent. Transparency leads to accountability. It is a concept as simple in its reflection of commonsense as it is difficult to imagine those in power voluntarily providing to the people.

When I walk around Statesville talking to working people it is assumed that the Statesville City Council is corrupt; that elected officials run for office to further a personal business plan rather than as an expression of civic duty. The disinfectant to that level of cynicism is transparency.

Many believe that some if not all Members of Council promoted Streetscape as a means to increase their personal fortune and the value of their personal holdings downtown. I wasn't here during that deliberation but I assume that those owning property downtown, those clearly gaining financially if this project was approved, would choose not to be an active booster of Streetscape and of course would recuse themselves from the vote.

Transparency means that the honest politician is not caught up in the anger of the populace at the dishonest. Transparency is the dividing line and makes all the difference. Without transparency the taxpayers, the shareholders who live in the City of Statesville are mere subjects and this Council is a Council of Lords. With transparency the taxpayers, the shareholders are citizens with an equal voice with an equal opportunity to provide Council with an informed opinion about how their money, let me repeat that, their money, is spent.

The average working person knows that when they borrow money from the bank; when they receive that magical plastic card it comes with a disclosure statement regarding rates, penalties and other outrageous charges that most will never bother to read before signing. Consumers are entitled to protection. Who protects our citizens? Our shareholders? Our taxpayers? An informed citizenry is a threat to elected officials who feel too much transparency is bad for their agenda; for their personal profits.

Our city workers who have suffered under a reprehensible pay freeze in Statesville, must be transparent and accountable to be paid, to keep their jobs. While citizens are only allowed to speak publicly for three minutes each month to their City Council, direct questions are not permitted; or rather they will not be answered. If that were permitted I would ask our City Manager if city workers punch timecards or fill out timesheets. I assume that is the case for our city workers as it is for all working people. The reason? Transparency and accountability. Why are our city workers held to a standard that this Council will not accept for itself?

It is my hope that this Council will advise Staff to research a Statesville Sunshine Law for their approval. The Sunlight Foundation is a valuable resource. In Statesville the City Staff do all the work, so if a measure passed by Council has bad results, well it was recommended by staff, but if a measure produces good results, surely it was the work of our City Council.

What can be done today to begin the process of shining the light, disinfecting our political and governing culture in Statesville? I challenge Members of Council to pledge that beginning with the next meeting and every meeting in the future, to have the opportunity to report about their work on behalf of their constituents since the previous meeting. In solidarity with city workers a time report should be included for the record. I suggest that each Member agree to work the number of hours that will bring their hourly rate to ten dollars an hour matching our lowest paid city workers. If you are paid only to attend meetings our city cannot afford to pay you a rate of roughly $75 to $100 per hour. We are not getting our money's worth and you are working harder tell us. Why keep good works a secret?

Full transparency should be the minimum standard for the Statesville City Council. Transparency and accountability assure that we will have a record to examine and will remove the perception that the  Council believes that what is done with our money is none our business. Are the people of Statesville are citizens or subjects? It is time to answer that question.