Public Information ... for a price

I'm about to check out a meeting regarding a state proposal to have a private company design and maintain a Web portal for the Motor Vehicle Division. Under the request for proposal, no tax dollars would be involved because the company chosen to do the work would make its money by charging the public -- including the press -- to use it.

At this point it's not clear how much it would cost. (The contractor has yet to be chosen.)

Back in 2004, the last time the administration proposed something like this, fees for record checks averaged $5.90 nationally and $7.40 in the surrounding states of Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Nevada, Oklahoma and Utah, according to an Associated Press report.

Newspapers and insurance companies are among the groups concerned about this. Hopefully I'll learn a lot more shortly.