Transparency NOT Gag Rules

In an editorial this weekend about an upcoming Transparency Seminar in February, the El Paso Times quotes the Preamble of the Texas Public Information Act:

"Under the fundamental philosophy of the American constitutional form of representative government that adheres to the principle that government is the servant and not the master of the people, it is the policy of this state that each person is entitled, unless otherwise expressly provided by law, at all times to complete information about the affairs of government and the official acts of public officials and employees. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created."

The emphases by italics is mine.

In just about two hours the Communications Policy Committee will convene at the EPWU building on Hawkins. I have already summarized the issues and the origin of a push for a gag rule.

One hopes that the PSB will remember that they are the PUBLIC Service Board and not the oligarchs with charge of our water, sewer and stormwater utilities as well as our land as the City of El Paso. If they should forget, then may their rule be disobeyed, challenged in courts, and protested on the streets.

PSB: Do not decide what is good for all El Pasoans to know and what is not good for us to know. We insist on remaining informed and retaining control over the PSB which we created.