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Whose money is it?
Whose money is it anyway?
Most of us probably wouldn’t be too happy to find the neighbors eavesdropping on discussions of our finances. The Smiths next door don’t need to know that we are carrying a big balance on our Visa card or that we’ve decided to let the car payments slide so we can have junior’s teeth straightened.
For as long as anyone can remember, the tough choices about the state’s budget have been made in private. Six senior legislators - three from each House - convene in an office building or a private hotel room and divvy up the billions. Reporters and the public generally don’t find out about the meeting until it’s over; those who show up while the discussions are underway are locked out.
This spring though, the American Civil Liberties Union, never reluctant to sue and never worried about what voters might think, is suing. It has asked a Richmond judge to declare the meetings illegal and order them stopped. A hearing is slated for July 17.
We hope the ACLU prevails. We’re painfully aware that by taking their side we’ll feed the suspicions of those who believe the press is an agent of the political left - but because in this case the ACLU is right.
After all, it is our money.
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