WHEN I ASKED MAYOR ELECT BOB FILNER HOW HE INTENDS TO FILL HIS CAMPAIGN PROMISE FOR MORE
TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT, HE TOLD ME ABOUT HIS NEW PLAN TO CREATE A DEPARTMENT DEDICATED
TO OPEN GOVERNMENT. TO BE HEADED UP BY A LONG TIME ADVOCATE FOR
GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY, FORMER SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL MEMBER DONNA FRYE.
WELCOME TO EVENING EDITION. HOW WILL THIS NEW DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY CREATE
TRANSPARENCY IN THE GOVERNMENT? >> >>DONNA FRYE: THE FIRST THING IS THAT WE
HAVE IN THE FILNER ADMINISTRATION SOMEONE THAT'S COMMITTED TO BEING ACCESSIBLE TO THE
PUBLIC, AND THAT IS A BIG CHANGE IN MY OPINION. SOMEBODY THAT ACTUALLY WILL MEET WITH FOLKS
IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, WILL ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, GET OUT, HAVE MEETINGS, THAT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE
FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO WORK ALL THE TIME, AND THEY'LL BE ABLE TO COME DOWN TO CITY HALL.
I THINK THAT ONE OF THE OTHER MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS THAT THERE IS A RECOGNITION OF THE
IMPORTANCE OF IT BY CREATING A DEPARTMENT IF.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS BEING TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY.
>> >>PEGGY: RIGHT OUT THE SHOOT SHE'S SAYING THIS IS A PRIORITY.
>> >>DONNA FRYE: AND THAT'S I HAVE NEVER SEEN DONE BEFORE IN THE HISTORY OF OUR CITY.
>> >>PEGGY: OKAY. A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD ASK WHY DO WE NEED TO
HAVE A SEPARATE DEPARTMENT FOR THIS. WHAT HAPPENED DO TOO YOUR GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY
AND OPENNESS COMMITTEE IN 2003, 2004? >> >>DONNA FRYE: THAT IS A COUNCIL.
THAT IS A CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE DONE UNDER THE OLD FORM OF GOVERNANCE WHEN WE HAD A CITY
MANAGER, CITY COUNCIL FORM OF GOVERNANCE. THE COUNCIL AT THAT POINT COULD DIRECT THE
CITY MANAGER TO DO CERTAIN THINGS. THINGS HAVE CHANGED NOW WE HAVE A STRONG MAYOR
FORM OF GOVERNANCE. THE COUNCIL CAN DO THE LEGISLATING, WHAT HAPPENED
TO THAT COMMITTEE IT WAS ENDED AND ULTIMATELY FOLD UNDER TO THE RULES COMMITTEE.
>> >>PEGGY: SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, BECAUSE OF THE STRONG MAYOR YOU FEEL WE ACTUALLY DO NEED
TO HAVE A SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT FOR THIS. >> >>DONNA FRYE: ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY. THE COUNCIL IS THE LEGISLATIVE BODY.
THE MAYOR IS NOW THE PERSON WHO IS THE PERSON WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
IN ORDER TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PUBLIC, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC IS GETTING
THE INFORMATION THEY NEED AND THAT THEY'RE GETTING IN IN TIMELY MANNER, GETTING QUESTIONS
RESPONDED TO. THE MEDIA IS ASKING FOR RECORDS OR BROWN ACT
ISSUES, THAT THOSE ISSUES ARE BEING ADDRESSED AND PEOPLE ARE TAKING IT SERIOUSLY.
>> >>PEGGY: WHAT'S YOUR ROLE? WHAT DO YOU MAN, AS FAR AS I SHOULD SAY?
>> >>DONNA FRYE: THEY ASKED NEE HEAD UP THE DEPARTMENT.
MY ROLE IS TO LISTEN TO WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC.
THE THINGS THAT HAVEN'T HAPPENED IN THE PAST. I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, JUST FROM PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE. ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPLAINTS FOR THE LEGISLATIVE
BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT IS GETTING DOCK YMS IN A TIMELY MANNER.
THESE ARE ISSUES THEY HAVE TO VOTE ON. IF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS DON'T GET THEM
IN A TIMELY MANNER, NEITHER DOES THE PUBLIC. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE
IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS IF THE DOCUMENTS AT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE SUPPOSED TO BE PROVIDING
AND THE DOCUMENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT FORTHCOMING IN A TIMELY MANNER.
I REMEMBER SITTING DOWN AND HAVING PILES OF DOCUMENTS IN FRONT OF ME ON ISSUES I WAS SUPPOSED
TO VOTE ON THAT DAY. THAT IS NOT HOW YOU DO GOOD, SOUND DECISION
MAKING AND THAT IS NOT OPEN GOVERNMENT. >> >>PEGGY: LET ME PLAY DEVIL'S ADVOCATE HERE
FOR A MINUTE. SOME WOULD SAY BEHIND THE SCENES CONVERSATION
HELPED PROJECT GET DOWN FASTER. THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY FUNDING OR IRWIN JACOBS INVOLVEMENT
IN THE PLAZ LAW DE PANAMA PROJECT. ARE THERE TIMES THAT SOME BACK ROOM CONVERSATIONS
MIGHT HELP GOVERNMENT? >> >>DONNA FRYE: YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T KNOW
THAT I WOULD CHARACTERIZE THEM NECESSARILY AS BACK ROOM CONVERSATIONS.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MEET WITH EVERYBODY. AND I THINK THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE WITH THE
FILNER ADMINISTRATION IS THAT BOB IS COMMITTED TO MEETING WITH EVERYBODY.
AND NOT HAVING THIS PERCEPTION OUT THERE WHETHER IT'S REAL OR NOT THAT THERE'S ONLY CERTAIN
PEOPLE THAT THE MAYOR WILL MEET WITH. AND I THINK THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE.
>> >>PEGGY: ALL RIGHT. HOW IS THIS GOVERNMENT HOW WOULD YOU LIKE
TO SEE ANYWAY THIS DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY HELP EVERY DAY CITIZENS OF SAN DIEGO? MAYBE NOT
BUSINESS OWNERS, HOW IS HAVING ACCESS TO PUBLIC INFORMATION GOING TO HELP THEM?
>> >>DONNA FRYE: ONE OF THE BAYS SAY FOR EXAMPLE SOMEONE CALLS WITH A QUESTION.
THEY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THEY NEED TO GO TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
ONE O THE SIMPLIST THINGS YOU COULD DO IS POST IT A LIST OF FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ONLINE. MAKING INFORMATION EASY TO OBTAIN, AND THAT
INCLUDES BUSINESSES, THAT INCLUDES ANYBODY THAT NEEDS THAT INFORMATION.
TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ACCESSIBLE, THAT IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE, AND READILY AVAILABLE.
>> >>PEGGY: ALL RIGHT. HOW MUCH IS THIS GOING TO COST AND WHERE IS
THE MONEY SUPPOSED TO COME FROM? >> >>DONNA FRYE: THAT WOULD BE AN ISSUE THAT
WOULD BE HANDLED BY THE MAYOR'S CHIEF OF STAFF, AS FAR AS SETTING UP THE BUDGETS AND I AM
NOT GOING TO PRESUME TO DISCUSS THAT. IT'S BEEN WIN DAY AFTER THE ELECTION, AND
THAT IS UP TO OUR MAYOR ELECT AND HIS CHIEF OF STAFF.
I WILL TELL YOU THEY ARE TAKING THIS VERY SERIOUSLY AND THAT THE FACT THAT BOB HAS COME
OUT AND SAID THIS IS A PRIORITY, I'M SURE THAT THE BUDGETING WILL BE DONE WITHIN THE
MAYOR'S BUDGET. >> >>PEGGY: THE MAYOR'S BUDGET LAST YEAR WAS
ABOUT 5.8 MILLION. >> >>DONNA FRYE: RIGHT, AND IT MIGHT HAVE
BEEN A LITTLE HIGHER. IT DEPENDS HOW THEY DO THE BUDGETING.
NOT ALL THE MAYOR BUDGETING IS SHOWN IN THE MAYORAL BUDGET.
>> >>PEGGY: ANY EXPECTATION OF CAN WHEN THIS MIGHT START?
>> >>DONNA FRYE: AS SOON AS WE'RE ABLE TO GET IT STARTED.
I MEAN, BOB, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WON'T BE SWORN INTO OFFICE UNTIL DECEMBER 3, AND SO
AS SOON THEREAFTER AS WE CAN GET IT STARTED T WILL BE STARTED.
>> >>PEGGY: I'M SURE YOU WILL KEEP US UPDATED. >> >>DONNA FRYE: I WILL.
>> >>PEGGY: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US.