Across the nation, there have been numerous occasions when local government
officials oppose disclosure requirements, sometimes even the most
minimal ones (for example, the name of an elected official’s
employer). Arguments are made about privacy, identity theft, and
overweening government. There is talk about rights, but never about
obligations.
But the bottom-line argument is that if you require financial
disclosure, no one will volunteer for local boards and commissions.
This is...