Grassroot Institute’s "hired gun" journalist is already shaking up things in the Hawaii state government with his new transparency blog, "Hawaii Sunshine Chronicles".

Don Ray is a veteran investigative journalist and producer who many consider one of the nation's leading experts on transparency in government. He has written books on locating and interpreting public record documents, investigative strategies, interviewing, writing and privacy.

"Since I’m working completely independent of the positions or points of view of the Grassroot Institute, I’m publishing the stories I write on an independent blog site,” Ray said. "I’m pleased that the organization is funding my pursuit of openness in government here, and that its staff and directors have faith that what I uncover will be valuable to Hawaii's citizens.”

The new blog is in its early stages, but is already causing a stir. Ray has been documenting his attempts to arrange a meeting with officials in an unnamed (for now) state agency he believes is purposely trying to avoid disclosure of what seems to be relatively innocuous information — travel expense records for travel outside of the State of Hawaii.

"I have to believe that this is just a case of bureaucrats not fully understanding their statutory obligation to allow any citizen to inspect the documents they produce,” Ray said. "The agency in question is one of many that seem to be dodging efforts by the Institute to obtain and post the travel information on its Web sites.”

People in the capitol are beginning to take notice. The Director of Communications for the majority members of the Hawaii House of Representatives was the first official to post a comment on the new site. "This should be required reading for all government agencies and public officials on how NOT to deal with media inquiries,” Georgette Deemer wrote shortly after Ray posted an account of the situation.

The blog will include stories about excessive government spending, waste and mismanagement as well as any cases of corruption or graft Ray may uncover. It will also include tools and resources empowering private citizens to become investigative reporters themselves and use their new skills to make government employees, officials, and contractors more accountable.

"After all,” Ray says, "this is still a government ‘of the people, by the people and for the people.’”

Please visit the new blog at http://www.sunshinechronicles.wordpress.com.

-GIR-