News and Observer: Candidates for governor support prying open some government records

From the Raleigh News and Observer (11/2/12): The main candidates for governor say they favor taking some steps to make state government more transparent, but both avoid sweeping promises about opening up many more records than are already public.

In recent interviews, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton and Pat McCrory were generally in agreement when asked about disclosing more state employee personnel records, improving campaign finance reporting, making public ethics complaints and releasing their daily calendars.

Both expressed concern about protecting employees’ and office-holders’ privacy while acknowledging the need to balance the public’s interest in monitoring state government.

A teacher who sexually assaults students, for instance, shouldn’t be allowed to move from school to school hiding behind a series of resignations rather than terminations, Dalton said.

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