Free Republic

The Obama administration’s testy relationship with the press is nothing new for Washington, but it’s now extended to Colorado and has touched off a firestorm after Interior Department officials booted local reporters from a public meeting earlier this week. Journalists with Colorado's Craig Daily Press and at least two other media outlets were barred from a Tuesday question-and-answer session with Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, despite the fact that members of the public were allowed to attend. “What happened would be in complete alignment with the administration’s policies. We were promised the most transparent administration ever and instead we’ve gotten the...

Last week's story about the uncertainties endured by people who live in or near the route of the I-69/Trans-Texas Corridor prompted many messages of support. But I wish there had been room in the story to quote Steve Huber, a University of Houston law professor who spoke at a January meeting in Bellville on the project. Huber opposed the corridor plan without taking the position — adopted, for instance, by U.S. Rep. John Culberson toward rail on Richmond — that the people most directly affected deserve the most consideration when a route is chosen. "My position carefully avoided the sort...

State officials say tolls are important to fund new highway lanes, but when it comes to non-toll projects, they apparently don't want to hear about it. In fact, they banned mention of the word at a public meeting this week. At the meeting, held Tuesday to get input on plans to widen Texas 46, Terri Hall of San Antonio Toll Party was told to wrap up her comments because her three minutes were running out, said Laura Lopez, spokeswoman with the Texas Department of Transportation. But then Hall began talking about tolls, so she was stopped. "It was mentioned at...