Virginia judge's ruling favors Fairfax County moms seeking to expose school board spending

...This fall, Tisler requested documents on how the school board is spending taxpayer dollars through the Freedom of Information Act.

After FCPS handed over more than 1,300 pages of information, the moms posted some of the documents on their website for others to read.

FCPS took the Fairfax County moms to court, asking a Fairfax Circuit Court judge to censor the information on the mom’s website in a preliminary injunction motion.

This past week, the judge denied most of the school district’s request delivering a legal win to the mom’s seeking transparency...

https://wjla.com/news/crisis-in-the-classrooms/virginia-judge-ruling-favors-fairfax-county-moms-fcps-school-board-spending-debra-tisler-callie-oettinger-goldwater-institute?fbclid=IwAR0X6jEjdBc6viD1aK0WmqS6mckj7i7mtcoAjVq8kda2J6H94SnPuQnUBWs

"It may be the most effective watchdog model in the nation."

...The Watchdogs anti-corruption toolbox features an “exposure” website, insistence on freedom of information, pro se lawsuits, public comment at open meetings, earned media, and motivating hundreds of local citizens to attend board meetings. It may be the most effective watchdog model in the nation...

...In Ford-Iroquois County, the health department was disbanded after the Watchdogs pushed an investigation into an alleged $4 million federal flood grant fraud, public credit cards used for private beer and gasoline purchases, and substantial gift card employee compensation which circumvented payroll taxes...

...They even recently exposed a superintendent – a candidate running for the state house – who racked up $5,000 on the school credit card at fast food restaurants...

...The Watchdogs live by Dillon’s Rule – a principle from a famous 1868 case that says government only has the power granted by law. As the Watchdogs argue, in the absence of a legal basis, government power is limited. Public bodies are asked to prove that public funds, property or credit are only being used only for public purposes (Article 8 Section 1 of Illinois Constitution). Trusting government to act in the public’s interest isn’t good enough. They require proof and verification...

 http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2014/11/05/sick-of-politics-more-than-100-illinois-public-officials-fled-their-positions-rather-than-face-these-watchdogs/2/