Editorial | Transparent government

We've seen many politicians try to prevent sunlight from reaching City Hall. But we never thought Mayor Michael Nutter would be one of them.

Last week, city authorities prevented reporters from entering a budget-related meeting between Nutter and City Council members. In response, the newspapers sued, arguing that the action violated Pennsylvania's Sunshine Law. That policy requires most government meetings - including those that frame and prepare legislation - to be open to the public.

Nutter and Council members contended that the meeting could be closed to outsiders because it was a budget briefing with no official actions taken. Last Friday, the courts sided with the mayor and against Philadelphia newspapers.

While the mayor may technically be on the right side of the law, his actions are a little disappointing - especially considering that government transparency was the centerpiece of his campaign. The day after the meeting, Nutter also announced seven budget-related pieces of legislation - increasing suspicion that the closed-door gathering was more than just a simple budget briefing.

Philadelphia faces a $1 billion shortfall over the next five years, and to his credit, Nutter has been honest about the painful budget cuts he must make.

But it's important that the mayor keeps his campaign promises as well - including his pledge to make government more open to citizens. The severity of the fiscal crisis doesn't give Nutter a blank check to abuse weaknesses in the state's sunshine laws.

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