Open government costs taxpayers double.

From a Journal editorial this morning, link, we glean the
following;

Farmington, NM, needed a new city manager. A number of
people applied for the job.

The Farmington Daily News link, asked for the names of the
applicants, and the request was denied.

Though exceptions to the law are clear, and this clearly isn't,
the mayor and two city councilors argued;

If elected officials have to share information about
applicants with the voters who elected them, ...,

"you're going to get watered-down applicant pools of
people that are ... not necessarily the best candidate."

Or, in other words, the best candidates lie within a pool of
candidates who are unwilling to be honest with their
current employers, about their future intentions.

It took an appeals court decision to change their minds.
The final cost to taxpayers, who will end up paying for the
lawyers for both sides, will approach a quarter of a million
dollars.

Consequences for the public servants who wasted a quarter
of a million dollars in a effort to hide the truth from taxpayers;
nothing.

There is no consequence for public servants who make
deliberate efforts to hide the truth from stakeholders.

There is no reason for them to change anything about the
manner in which they respond to legitimate requests for
public records.

It is time to provide meaningful personal penalties for public
servants who choose not to comply with legitimate requests
for public records.