Jason Grumet argued in ìGovernment wilting from the sunshineî [Washington Forum, Oct. 2] that transparency measures such as open meetings and records laws have a 'dark side,' one that is presumably responsible for the 77 percent of Americans who do not trust their government most of the time. Perhaps the fact that Congress has exempted itself from the Freedom of Information Act and has no requirements to hold all meetings in public might contribute to the mistrust that troubles Mr. Grumet.
A cop on the beat has little expectation of privacy when doing his job. A senator or a subcommittee cutting a deal with a special interest shouldn't either. Sadly, we hold Congress to a much lower standard of openness while executive-branch agencies stonewall requests for information. Blame for suspicion of and dissatisfaction with Congress and the executive branch rests entirely at the feet of our elected officials, who, by restricting access to information, do much to prove themselves unworthy of trust. Continue>>>
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