Editorial: Government Behind Closed Doors

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It’s hard to find anyone who can remember the last time the Federal Highway Administration held a ceremony to sign a new trucking regulation. Major laws of the land sometimes get that kind of special treatment at the White House or on Capitol Hill, virtually always in the glare of the spotlight, with the press in attendance. But to place his name on the regulation that will require reflective tape to be retrofitted to truck trailers, Federal Highway Administrator Kenneth Wykle chose to invite a select few to the Department of Transportation — and then close the doors. No press, no public.

That doesn’t sound right to us.

For one thing, it offends the notion of open government. For another thing, it makes it seem as though FHWA had something to hide. Otherwise, why exclude the trucking press from an event that celebrates a trucking safety measure?

True, representatives of the industry and American Trucking Associations were invited to attend. Safety groups were on the guest list, and, so too was Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways. But FHWA opted to exclude all press, including Transport Topics — even though we asked permission to observe and report on the auspicious occasion.

Was CRASH calling the shots? Did the organization, which never has anything positive to say about trucking, put the squeeze on FHWA to stage a rite of observance surrounding the conspicuity regulation’s final approval? As we noted, making a show at the regulatory level seems highly unusual — and in this case, it may be unprecedented.

Stranger still is to invoke a ceremonious occasion of government and then deny admittance to the public.

At least FHWA made it possible for us to get the word on the final regulation out to the trucking industry in a timely fashion. You won’t have to wait another week to read that you’re going to have to put red and white reflective tape on the sides of older trailers.

All well and good — that was the most important message, after all.

But what message does an exclusive, closed-door signing ceremony send to trucking? What kind of influence does CRASH have at FHWA?

We think the public deserves an answer.