A while back I mentioned how disgraced former Oregon Gov. Neil Goldschmidt was exerting control over his gubernatorial papers -- so much so that one had to ask permission to see them. As usual, anyone who wanted something relating to him had to "negotiate" with the powerful Goldschmidt. And, typical of the man's gall, you had to pay his lawyers to review your request!

That got me thinking, how can he do that? To the extent those papers were produced while he was sitting in his state office, or riding around on state-paid travel, they were created on state time. He was using state stationery and state writing utensils, and he produced these documents with the help of state-paid staff. Thus, they're public records, and the public has a right to see them, no?

Well, now Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, a Democrat running for re-election in November, has asked the same questions. He's planning to take the documents back from the Oregon Historical Society (probably a hotbed of West Hills NG lieutenants) on Tuesday, and put them in the Oregon State Archives.

Should have been done long ago.

And when they get to their new location, there will be quite a line of reporters wanting to see them, I'm sure. As I've said before, the digging into this man's past has only just begun.