ILLUSTRATION BY Arthur Giron

You may not like the media – hey, there are some news organizations in this town I think are worthless, too – but you’re cutting off your nose to spite your face if you don’t like Arizona’s public records laws.
They’re real simple, just like the open-meetings laws that are their siblings: They are meant to keep all government actions open, honest and straightforward. If government is allowed to do its business in secret, or to hide records or keep information away from the public, then it’s probably doing something nasty.
So the public records and open meetings laws aren’t there just for snoops like me or anyone else with a press credential. They exist for you, the Arizona taxpayer and citizen. And since you’re probably busy making a living or raising a family or playing golf – whatever – then it’s snoops like me who keep an eye on government for you.
Here’s an inside secret of journalism: You tell me I can’t get answers, and I’m pretty sure something is amiss. You tell me I can’t see a public record, and I’m pretty certain you have something awful to hide.
Which is why Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s war on the media is so transparent. We can see right through it.
I’m not talking about his enforcement policies on this or that; I’m talking about his obstinate, childish and illegal attempts to stop the media from holding him accountable. And here’s the kick in the head: He’s using public money to stop the public from seeing records the law says it has every right to inspect. He’s keeping you in the dark by wasting thousands of your tax dollars on absurd stands against the media.
And it’s gotten so bad he even endangered children in the West Valley, but I’m getting ahead of myself.