We’ve all heard politicians talk about transparency in government, but someone has to hold them accountable.
The Jambar regularly requests public records from university and city offices. Sometimes, we go on a hunch. Other times, we’re just sticking our noses in public affairs, hoping to uncover a dirty secret.
Well, we found something.
The Youngstown City Health District failed to ensure that campus restaurants met state health standards, while students ate in ignorance.
Campus officials and employees of Sodexo, the multinational company that feeds the YSU community, said there was never a danger to students.
That’s not good enough.
City inspectors were paid by taxpayers to perform a vital service. They neglected their responsibilities without consequence.
The Ohio Department of Health will give the city enough time to get their ducks in a row, and then that’ll be the end of that.
If all state regulators will do is dole out slaps on the wrist, then what good are they?
Upton Sinclair, the 20th century muckraker, may have exposed the disgusting practices of the meatpacking industry, but without public outrage, no one would have done anything about it.
As journalists, our job is to shine a light into dark places.
We’ve done our job. We’ve informed you of the issue. Now, it’s up to you to decide whether enough has been done to fix the problem.
Just for the record, we think not.