While politics seems to be irrevocably broken with conservatives and progressives agreeing on virtually nothing, the public’s right to know should be something everyone can get behind.

The political landscape is more polarized than ever. Bipartisanship, consensus building, reaching across the aisle, cooperation, unity, mutual respect and statesmanship have all become political curse words.

However, the public’s right to know should never be a partisan, polarizing issue.

Still, somehow we shave even found ways to be partisan about government transparency.

Conservatives want to reveal the secrets of liberals and liberals want to expose the actions of conservatives.

The right to know is not liberal, conservative, Republican, Democrat, independent or Libertarian.

Yet it always seems the minority party is the champion of transparency until it becomes the majority party.

Politicians stump during the campaign season, pledging to be transparent and open, until they are in office and have something they want to hide.

Transparency is essential in local, state and federal government and must transcend parties and political ideologies.

Essentially, there ar se no checks and balances when officials broker deals behind closed doors and conceal documents that contain important information that the public has the right, and often the need, to know.

Whether it is property taxes, sales taxes, business taxes, state-shared dollars or federal grants, loans and funding, government is 100% taxpayer funded and the public always has the right to know how its money is being spent.

Decisions being made at the local level, dollars doled out and records kept at city hall, the county commission, the board of education or the utility district belong to all of us.

All elected officials — regardless of political party — should embrace open government and champion the public’s right to know, instead of trying to find ways to get around it.

People with nothing to hide don’t hide.

Jim Zachary is the editor of The Valdosta Daily Times, CNHI’s director of newsroom training and development and president emeritus of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation.