Huntsman, who, ironically enough, oversees a Web-savvy state government, prefers communicating with staff through hand-written notes. He claims that he dislikes the informal tone of e-mail.
Critics see a darker motive. They think the governor prefers written messages because courts are less likely to deem them subject to open records laws.
The public can only hold government officials accountable if they know what policy-makers are up to. On the other hand, not all government communications--high-tech or low-tech--ought to be publicly accessible. Officials should be able to frankly discuss policy alternatives, without fearing that some mere suggestion will come back to haunt them.
My problem with Huntsman's no e-mail policy, however, is that Utah already has substantial protections in place. Under state law, the governor's "contemplated policies" are off limits to the public (see item 29 under "controlled records").
Given this exemption, Huntsman shouldn't be afraid to use e-mail. It is more efficient, from a management perspective, than scribbling on notecards.
MORE: Opening the Mail (Governing, July 2005)
