Judge Damon Keith said, “Democracy dies in darkness”. He was talking about the Watergate tapes but what he said is just as relevant about today’s Freedom of Information requests. Open meetings and open records are critical to our democracy. In Wisconsin, there is a push to allow government to charge a fee to redact the documents prior to distribution. This will stop some people from asking for public information – a harmful consequence for our proud tradition of transparent government.
Proponents cite the cost to create the redactions as the issue. Government agencies across the country are funding redaction efforts without charging the public. Wisconsin should follow suit. Automated Redaction Software effectively reduces the marginal cost of redaction down to zero. You can't put a price on an Open and Fair Democracy.
By: David Rasmussen ~ President, Extract Systems
David Rasmussen's Bio:
With 20 years’ experience leading software companies, I’m driven by the challenge to consistently find groundbreaking ways to solve customer problems. I find it rewarding to hit the customer’s target, but that is only a part of the reward/challenge. Creating and nurturing a great team, building a solid infrastructure, raising and managing capital, avoiding pitfalls, and emerging with a strong value proposition is what the bigger picture is all about for me.
