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Crowson: You've Got 'Ehh-Mail'

Wies van Erp, flickr Creative Commons

Governor Sam Brownback just sent the Kansas public an email. No, no, no – the “e” in this email doesn’t stand for “electronic.” It stands for “ehh,” as in “ehh, who gives a good Kansas dang about the public’s right to know.

You see, Governor Holdback, I mean Brownback, believes he has the right to hold back from you, the Kansas public, just whatever the gosh darn he doesn’t want you to know. He sent that message to us all loud and clear when he decided years ago, to use his private email account for conducting the public’s business.

Who does he consult with when conducting the public’s business? None of your business. What promises does he make to those with whom he consults while doing the public’s business? None of your business. What role do special interests have in the governor’s decision making about public policy in Kansas? None of your business.

And you thought all of these cloudy, rainy, sunless days we’ve been having lately in Kansas were just spring weather patterns? My bet is that it’s Governor Brownback’s doing. He’s been flaunting Kansas Sunshine Laws for so long that we just don’t have a lot of sunshine anymore.

But I have a solution. Let’s put body cams on politicians. A body cam on Brownback would’ve revealed his emailing habits. There’s no other way for the public to know how he conducts the public’s business. When technological change happens, as with the transition to email communication, we have to turn to other techie ways of keeping up with our secretive politicians.

Body cams! They’re not just for policemen anymore!

Richard Crowson is not only a editorial commentator for KMUW. He's also a cartoonist, an artist and a banjo player.