I'm not a big fan of constantly re-hashing the Chief Illiniwek debate, but I do think some discussion of how the UI handled it and continues to handle the aftermath is warranted.
"Because (the Chief issue) was so controversial, one would think that attention would be paid to the Open Meetings Act and it would have been done in thoughtful way and would bring no ridicule on the process, which is not what happened," said Beth Bennett, the group's director of government relations.
When it came down to the Chief Illiniwek issue, "it wasn't just a local story ... you have statewide interest in this," Bennett said.
The idea behind the Worsty Awards is to call attention to and discourage abuses of the Illinois Open Meetings Act and Illinois Freedom of Information Act, said IPA Executive Director Dave Bennett in a press release.
The secrecy is embarrassing. The decision has been made, and everyone knows why. Hiding things (or creating the perception of hiding things) just fuels the distrust and keeps the issue fermenting.
