HONEST
The people of Racine County have historically been hard working, honest, generous and loyal. But perhaps our greatest failing has been our tendency to place trust in people who have not earned it, and in fact abuse it.
Citizens have the right to access the documents and proceedings of the government to allow for effective public oversight. Government should be open to public scrutiny and susceptible to public opinion.
OPEN
In a free society, transparency
is government's obligation to share information with citizens. It is at the heart of how citizens hold their public officials accountable.
TRANSPARENT
The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. PRESIDENT JOHN F KENNEDY ADDRESS BEFORE THE AMERICAN NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION, APRIL 27, 1961
WHAT WE WANT
HOT calls for the Resignation of Racine City Attorney Scott Letteney
City Attorney Scott Letteney violates both the law and the spirit of the
law concerning Wisconsin Public Records statutes.
As city attorney, Scott Letteney has an extensive history of engaging in
tactics of deny, delay and defer open records request in direct violation
of Wisconsin statutes. Under Letteney’s supervision, systems and procedures
are in place to thwart, hinder and impede the general public’s right to
know. HOT GOVERNMENT calls for immediate action by the Racine Common Council to remove city attorney Scott Letteney from his duties.
Forensic Audit of Redevelopment Projects
Taxpayer’s must take steps to protect themselves from serious risks on multiple fronts. Racine’s failed developments projects Machinery Row, Porter’s Project, Arena, to name a few have threaten the long-term growth and financial health of our community. While continued failures can bring needed services to a halt. HOT GOVERNMENT calls for an independent accounting firm to conduct a complete forensic audit to determine if these developments have been lawfully managed.
Public Records Request System
Public records are critical to democracy and to our ability as citizens to hold our government accountable for its actions. HOT GOVERNMENT calls for a public records request system. The public can quickly and very easily request the documents they need as well as be notified automatically that the process has begun. Citizens make their document requests through an online form and receive automatic status updates whenever action is taken on their request. The responses and communication are visible online in real time.
Financial Transparency Online
Transparency is best fostered when citizens can access and read through city information in an easily-accessible format. We want to know where our tax dollar are going, how safe our city is, and how well the city is performing. Our current online system in Racine is difficult and time-consuming wading through a bunch of data hoping to find an answer only to be frustrated. HOT GOVERNMENT calls for an open financial transparency data plan. First creating open checkbook data and dashboards of fiscal information where citizens can track their tax dollars in real time. This transparency should continue into trash collecting, public works, parks department, GPS real time tracking, mobile apps and text messaging reminders to citizens with pertinent information and more.
Broadcast all Common Council and Committee Meetings - Restore Car 25
The City of Racine through a contract with Time Warner /Spectrum receives over $900,000 each year and two cable access channels for the public benefit. The cable channel CAR-25/Belle TV has been sorely underused, and revenues misplaced. What was once an award-winning effort among municipal broadcasts was restructured with gross ineffectiveness and is now inadequate and embarrassing. HOT GOVERNMENT calls to restore CAR-25/Belle TV and the revenues collected to staff and fully function the underused cable channel to broadcast virtually all municipal government meetings and more community generated content.