This ain't Cuba.

A former editor of mine opened his talks on open government with that line, then launched seminars on public records and open meetings laws and their importance to democracy.

The sheriff in Shiawassee County, Mich., could learn a thing or two from this class. According to the Argus-Press, the sheriff has billed the paper $10 --- not for records, but for saying no to the newspaper's records request.

This one's been bouncing around the journalism blogosphere today, and for good reason. It's unheard of to charge for denying a records request.

Texas Watchdog stands with the Argus-Press, which rightfully called the sheriff out. After all, this ain't Cuba.