Time’s up for House secrecy

With all due respect, just who do House lawmakers think they are?

The last time we checked, they are public servants, elected by Massachusetts citizens to do the work of the people. But a deep dive into receipts buried in the comptroller’s office reveal a free-spending private club, financed by taxpayers, but whose actions are hidden from view.

As the Herald’s Joe Battenfeld, Hillary Chabot and Joe Dwinell reported, a look at credit card purchases found that for the past six years, House members were splashing out on everything from $6,500 dinners to antique restoration services to a job search website for voice acting. The total is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Your dollars.

We wonder whose office is enhanced by a “unique handcrafted piece” or “vintage treasure” from Sausalito Craftworks. It set taxpayers back $12,725.

That members of the House are sprucing up and chowing down and looking for voiceover work on our dime is bad enough, but what is especially galling is the we-don’t-have-to-show-you-anything arrogance of the lawmakers.

The Legislature exempted itself from public records laws in the mid-1970s, and the Speaker’s office refuses to provide any details for the charges on the credit card.

Transparency is for suckers, apparently.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo and 34 state reps refused to share any details with the Herald of bills they paid or gifts received over the past three years.

“Pursuant to section 18 of chapter 66 of the General Laws, your request is denied,” James Kennedy, the House chief legal counsel, wrote responding for all the politicians.

The Herald had requested receipts of any bills paid with state funds, a copy of each representative’s daily schedule along with any gifts or gift certificates received and a detailed explanation of when they were accepted and used.

The Legislature, governor’s office and judiciary are all exempt from the state Public Records Law. And this lack of transparency leaves the public in the dark.

“A blanket lockdown of all records from the public does a disservice to citizens,” said the Pioneer Institute’s Greg Sullivan, a former state inspector general. “People should be able to learn what is happening behind closed doors. The Legislature is doing the public’s business.”

Yes, but not in public. Because the lack of transparency goes beyond a covert Kelly’s Roast Beef binge. Critics have long decried the practice of private meetings, such as Gov. Charlie Baker’s “leadership meetings” with DeLeo and Senate President Karen Spilka. There are no minutes, of course.

Even if they’re only concerned with the extremely poor optics of these for-our-ears-only sessions, one or several of these officials should give these a pass going forward.

All of this is outrageous, but not necessarily discouraging. Yes, DeLeo’s been in office since the Sacred Cod was a coddling, but that doesn’t mean he’s not impervious to challengers the next election.

Someone reform-minded, who’s willing to give this old House an overhaul. Get some sunlight in there, the better to see lawmakers eating the reuben they paid for themselves.

Lawmakers should come out from the shadows now, of course, and let the public in on the public business they’re doing. But should they continue to dig in and hide under the public records law exemption, there’s always 2021.

 

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2pQXGSp