Dear Editor,
Who gets to define transparency vs. obfuscation? Apparently Governor Cuomo. His decision to have all government email accounts be the object of automatic purges after 90 days or retained by self-imposed flagging, is not an acceptable policy.
Governor Cuomo led his reelection on transparency. Pulling back the curtain, we see it’s an illusion. The reality is a policy, which any correspondence transacted via email is subject to being purged as well as originating FOIL’s requesting emails as documents. We as taxpayers have underwritten a 21st century software program to support electronic communications. The action Governor Cuomo is taking is as self-serving as is the current news on Hillary Clinton conducting Department of State business on an offsite personal server outside of accountable oversight.
It is ironic the policy is being invoked at a time when many who serve in Albany may be pulled into a Federal Ethics Investigation. Governor Cuomo’s answer to transparency and oversight is his resorting to a more often used policy of obfuscation, or more commonly referred to as C.Y.A.
Sincerely,
Florence Alpert
Candor, N.Y.
