Government Accountability
Back-room deals and closed doors are not the stuff of free governments. Our work is making governments more transparent and accountable to citizens.
What is the Freedom of Information Act?
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was a 1966 act which gave Americans increased access to federal government documents and records. It was amended in 1996 by the Electronic Freedom of Information Act amendments to provide access to this information electronically.
By Kelly Nolan, Wall Street Journal
Arizona Republic editorial
Enough already.
The Goldwater Institute recently filed a lawsuit challenging Phoenix’s “release time” practice that sends six city police officers to work as full-time union managers, 35 to work as part-time union representatives, and one to work as a union lobbyist. Although these employees are released from city duties to perform union duties, taxpayers continue to pay the officers’ salaries and benefits.
Arizona's Auditor General recently released a report detailing how the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) fraudulently put employees of three non-profits on the district's payroll: the Arizona Community College Association; the Arizona Business and Education Coalition; and the East Valley Partnership.
Dolores Huerta's economic policies misguided, Mexico should embrace capitalism
Labor activist Dolores Huerta was criticized earlier this year for telling students at a Tucson high school that "Republicans hate Latinos." But that wasn't even the worst of her speech.
Huerta praised Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for providing free health care for the poor and chided the U.S. government for not being more like Chavez. If Huerta really wants to help young Latinos, she could do better than filling their heads with losing economic theories.
PHOENIX — Clint Bolick looks like any other high-powered lawyer, for the most part. But glance down at his index finger, which sports a scorpion tattoo, for first-hand evidence of his unconventional streak.
Court teaches school district a lesson - do what you promised.
By Christina (Kohn) Sandefur
Published: November 28, 2011 at 3:45 pm
Imagine hiring a builder to add a kitchen on to your house. You agree to a price, sign a contract, and take out a loan. But without consulting you, the builder decides instead to build a garage. You would sue him for violating the contract and you would win.
PHOENIX — Calling it an unconstitutional giveaway that harms taxpayers and takes police resources off the streets, two Phoenix residents today filed suit against the City of Phoenix and the city’s largest police union, seeking to end the widespread practice of allowing public-sector employees to do union work while on the city payroll.
Working with the Goldwater Institute, William R. Cheatham and Marcus Huey filed suit in Maricopa County Superior Court.
In September, my colleague Mark Flatten released an investigative report showing that Phoenix and other Arizona cities spend millions of dollars every year to pay employees to perform union work on city time. Less than three months later, we are going to court on behalf of Phoenix taxpayers to put an end to the practice of union “release time.”