Public's right to know should not be ignored

It is a hallmark of most any campaign that candidates tout themselves as "for the people" and against government. The public interest is always held up as an inviolable priority. Yet, all too often, the same folks extolling the virtues of democracy on the stump are quick to discard it as soon as they win office.

In recent months, the Wasilla City Council has shown its contempt for the public's right to know in the way it conducts some city business. In direct violation of the state's Open Meetings Act, for example, an empty council seat was filled by secret ballot. The mayor, who is running for re-election, and a majority of the council did not see fit to speak out against this.

One candidate for Mat-Su Borough Assembly, Greg Koskela, has not even waited until he wins his election for the District 4 seat to side with the forces of unaccountable government. In a letter to the editor of this newspaper last month, Koskela expressed his opinion that it was OK for the council to conduct the people's business in secret.

He may find receptive company for this kind of contempt for transparent government should he be elected next month. At Tuesday's meeting of the Borough Assembly, a similarly contemptuous attitude was displayed by assembly member and deputy mayor Jim Colver.

In discussing the potential Hatcher Pass development plan, legitimate questions were raised about the $41 million project. When assembly member Talis Colberg pushed for postponement of a final vote so a public hearing could be held on the matter, Colver balked. Involving the public would just bog the plan down, he said, by creating a "circus" and a "public spectacle."

There is no place in the public arena for the kind of attitude that says elected officials know better than the people they represent. The scope and expense, alone, of the Hatcher Pass plan make anything but a measured, carefully plotted course foolhardy. A rush to move forward without proper consideration of all scenarios could put the borough and its residents in a costly position for years to come.

Residents should be especially wary of Colver's attitude considering he represents the Hatcher Pass area. While his motives may well be selfless, he owns six parcels of land in the area totaling a little more than 24 acres, putting him in a position to profit handsomely from the proposed development.

Colver is not on the Oct. 4 ballot, but he is rumored to have interest in being borough mayor. As always, public vigilance is essential to ensuring accountability and proper representation of the public interest.

Taking candidates at their word is a dicey proposition, at best. Before going to the polls a week from Tuesday, voters who value their right to know should do whatever they can to satisfy themselves that those who seek their vote will truly represent them.