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Reporter: Guv sets up a ‘double fire wall’ to block access
Gov. Bill Richardson (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
The Albuquerque Journal’s Thomas J. Cole called out the governor this weekend for talking the talk when it comes to issues of open government but failing – at least at times — to walk the walk.
“The right to have an open, accessible and accountable government provides the opportunity for the people to determine if public servants are fulfilling their duty,” Gov. Bill Richardson said in 2005, according to Cole’s article.
Cole wrote about the governor, when he took office, bringing on “an unprecedented number of political appointees, many of them former members of the media, across government to serve as public-information officers.”
“Their job is to facilitate access to government but have too often served as a fire wall for Richardson, at times blocking media access to the actual decision-makers and experts in government and requiring formal requests for the most basic of government records,” the article states.
“In my case, Gilbert Gallegos, the governor’s combative press secretary, has gone a step further, recently ordering public-information officers throughout government not to speak to me. That’s a double fire wall,” he wrote.
Guess I’m not the only one having problems with the Richardson administration…
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What more proof does anyone need that they have lost control over power and resources that are fundamentally their own, than to ask a question about either, only to be told; it’s none of your business?
If one owns or suppresses the news media, it puts them in control of the masses. Even though I disagree with you from time to time on things Heath, I would not condone the suppressing of your news any more than I would condone suppressing any media agency. Freedom of the press is needed to hold to the truths of our nation.
This only becomes a problem when any part of the media takes a political stand for either side. I will repeat what I wrote some time earlier, that in my estimation, a reporter of the news should not form an opinion in his writing, but report the news unbiased. After he/she has done this then if they wish to put forward an opinion, they should take the same road everyone else has to take and respond in the response column.
In this way the public gets the news and evaluates it without being swayed by the media’s opinion as a reporting agency. It is sad to say that it is not always done. If a person wishes to air his views on the happenings of the world, then he should set up his own soap box by entering the Twitter or Facebook arena, or just start there own blog to expound his/her views of the news.