Americans love acronyms, so it’s only fitting that I use one to describe the principles at the foundation of who I am and what I believe:  O.A.T.S.  And while I’m not referring to the grain that is of great nutritional value, I am speaking of other values…characteristics that encompass my view of what government should be: 

O.A.T.S.: Open. Accountable. Transparent. Sensible.

Open.  My record speaks for itself.  My belief that actions should be open to the public has been evident in many ways, a few of which are listed here:

1. Under my supervision, Pulaski County became the first in Arkansas to allow a voter to access their voter information and sample ballot online.
2. I have been a staunch defender of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, both as a member of the Pulaski County School Board and as Circuit/County Clerk.  I refused to participate in a school board retreat following an Attorney General’s Opinion that called the practice into question.
3. Nothing requires openness more than government’s use of your tax money. The Clerk’s Office Budget is available for public inspection at www.PulaskiClerk.com.

Accountable.  My parents taught me a great many things, and accountability is an integral part of the lessons I learned.  Here are some of the ways  that I’ve been accountable to citizens while in office:

1. Under my leadership, the Pulaski County Clerk’s office has received a clean bill of health from the Prosecuting Attorney and the U.S. Department of Justice for fixing the voter rolls.  Prior to my taking office, a 2004 Grand Jury report found Pulaski County voting rolls to be only 50% accurate.
2. In a January, 2007 letter, I questioned the competency of Pulaski County Comptroller Ron Quillin before it was discovered that Quillin had been stealing from the county.  Qullin was later sent to jail.
3. The Clerk’s office general fund maintenance and operation budget has not grown in the five years that I have been in office.
4. Steps have been taken to ensure that no public records would be lost in the event of natural disaster, fire or other calamity.

Transparent.  We have heard our elected officials speak of transparency so often that we start to tune it out.  But my actions show that I mean what I say:

1. In 2005, I created a bi-partisan Task Force to deal with election issues in the Clerk’s office.  The Task Force conducted public meetings across Pulaski County to discuss the challenges and progress of cleaning up the voter rolls.
2. The Clerk’s office website, www.PulaskiClerk.com, offers citizens free and easy access to the public records of all varieties filed at the office.
3. When a previously disgruntled citizen sent a freedom of information request for e-mails, the Clerk’s office immediately turned over tens of thousands of messages without any resistance.

Sensible.  There’s not much explanation required when it comes to our great need for sensibility from our governing officials.  It’s not hard to understand.  Sensible and pragmatic actions define my years of service:

1. Under my leadership, the Pulaski County Clerk’s office was the first in Arkansas to make electronic recording of real estate documents available.  This will lead to greater efficiency in the real estate market for years to come.  The office also conducted an eight month redaction program that will serve as the model for counties in Arkansas to place more records online while balancing potential privacy concerns.
2. As Pulaski County Clerk, I oversaw a massive reorganization of the Circuit Clerk functions of my office in October, 2007.  The streamlining has laid the groundwork for the development of a 21st century courthouse model.
3. The Clerk’s office currently is executing a multi-year strategy to create a paperless courthouse.  When successful, this effort will save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in employee costs annually and be much more environmentally friendly.  It will also make the legal system much more efficient for attorneys and their clients.

And there you have it. Open. Accountable. Transparent. Sensible.   That’s who I am, and that’s the Secretary of State that I will be.  You can count on it.