Good Job

I will be among the first to bitch about the shortcomings of my elected officials when they do something I consider idiotic, malfeasant, or incompetent. I rarely, however, mention when they do things right. It’s a hard fact of life that every job comes with certain expectations. You rarely get praised for meeting the basic expectations of the job. I’m willing to make an exception today, simply because it’s so rare.

Sen. Cornyn, my better senator, has proposed, along with Sen. Leahy, an act to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act and make the government more responsive and open to FOIA requests. This is a great idea. I don’t think much of what the Congress legislates about is necessary or proper, but this act is both. The oversight of the government is indisputably a subject for Congressional action. This act is moving the government in the right direction.

The older I get, the more I feel that transparency is the ideal for government bodies. Anything that promotes the maximum feasible amount of transparency is a good thing. Having said that, the actual text and provisions may not be as good as the press release makes it out to be. There is also the possibility that it will get horribly mutilated during the process. However, as described, it’s a good start. Sen. Cornyn has done a good job with this one.