Dumb And Dumber

' We've got a list of bridges, some of which are unsafe, but we won't give you the inspection reports because we don't have to. There's no law that says we do.' That's the figurative message The Citizen got when it asked for the reports of bridge inspections from the The Florida Department of Transportation. What kind of crap is that?

Doesn't that just give you real confidence in the Florida Department of Transportation? Here is a public department - a branch of state government - designed to serve the people, and it won't even let you see any reports about bridges over which you have to travel. Where, pray tell, is the leadership in that department? In this case, asleep at what is supposed to be the bridge between the Department and the public.

This dumb move to keep the reports secret and the even dumber refusal to give the reports to a newspaper doing a follow up story on the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis is nothing less than appalling. What ever happened to common sense? Apparently the folks in the Florida Department of Transportation who made the decision not to release the reports have none.

That stupid decision is a case in point why the Florida Sunshine Law needs to be strengthened. Now, the question is: what is Governor Crist going to do about such arrogant stupidity? The wise move would be to say to the secrecy morons in the Florida Department of Transportation, "Give The Citizen and other members of the public the reports" or take a hike -- a permanent one from your job! "