Should public officials sign vows of secrecy?
Maybe officeholders have been signing nondisclosure agreements for years. But if so, I hadn’t heard of it until the issue arose in the recent debate over building a train-truck depot in Jefferson County . For someone with a passion for open government, it’s a disturbing prospect to contemplate. My column for this Sunday on the topic is attached as an extended entry. Is it right for public officials to sign contracts forbidding them to tell constituents about plans that could dramatically change their communities? The question arises in Jefferson County, where the mayor and two commissioners signed nondisclosure agreements with Norfolk Southern. The railroad wants to build a big train-truck depot in New Market, and neighbors now are up in arms, complaining that the “intermodal facility” will create hazards, pollute and despoil the landscape. Good arguments can be made on both sides. Shifting cargo to rail is one way our nation can reduce energy use and air pollution. But for a company t
