Editorial: Cheney’s secrecy is bad policy

Friday, April 27, 2001 | 10:10 a.m.

Congressional Democrats understandably are frustrated with the needless secrecy that has enveloped Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force. Last week two prominent House Democrats -- Henry Waxman of California and John Dingell of Michigan -- both questioned whether the task force is violating the federal government's open meeting law. Whether there was a violation of law is an issue that will be left to lawyers and, if needed, the courts. But the bottom line is that this task force's closed-door meetings, on what are critical national issues, don't instill public confidence.

There already have been ominous signs in light of the fact that influential energy companies have met secretly with Cheney while environmentalists and public interest groups have been kept away. It is clear -- as word has leaked out about some of the emerging policies -- that a lopsided energy strategy will be the result, one that will be tilted in favor of energy companies at the expense of the environment. Of particular interest to Nevada is that Cheney and the task force are smitten with the idea of developing more nuclear power. That obviously jolts Nevadans since this state has been targeted by the federal government as a possible repository for the nation's high-level nuclear waste.

Significant harm already has been done by excluding the public from Cheney's task force. At the very least the vice president could open up what remaining meetings are left so that the public has a chance to see the federal government at work on vital matters, which will have enormous implications for the nation's economy and the environment.