Maybe--just maybe--I was in a bit of a bad mood when I went to the Dallas County Elections department to retrieve campaign finance reports for Sheriff Lupe Valdez and her challenger Lowell Cannaday. Why shouldn't I just be able to pull this information online again?

Sure, it's not too much to ask a reporter to take a 15-minute drive to review a few files, but suppose you, unlike me, have a real job? When do you find the time to make it to an elections department that shuts down while you're still working? And, color me a hopeless idealist here, but shouldn't we make it easy for voters to learn who's giving money to each candidate?

Of course, when you work as a journalist in Dallas, you get used to public agencies doing their best to thwart the public. That's how they roll here in the Big D. Still, if we're going to operate in a bygone era, where the Internet does not exist and curious voters are treated as second-class citizens, shouldn't public agencies offer a bare minimum level of care? Even conquering armies--until recently at least---afforded their prisoners certain rights.

Which brings me back to my tale of woe. When I arrived at the elections department and made my request, I was escorted into a tiny room to review two large files. There was no room on the desk--since it was occupied by an old computer, with no Internet, natch! (It might have been nice to Google donors for both candidates, but let's not get greedy here.)

Working in my crowded space, I placed one folder on my lap and the other on the floor. Then, I had to fill out a form that asked who I work for? Well, I work for me. That should be good enough. Whose business is it, anyway? I don't care if I'm working for Texas Watchdog, The New York Times, Al Qaeda or that separatist party in Alaska that Sarah Palin once belonged to. If I want to look at the files, then give me the files. End of story.

Just looking at this form renders me frustrated and confused. Even more so than I usually am. Then, as I was attempting to explain in writing to the Dallas County Elections Department who I work for, the department-issued pen went dead. Let's try this other one. Nope, not working either. And so right about now I'm feeling like Michael Douglas in Falling Down.

Before I could ask for another one, the clerk opened the door to my tiny room and told me that "we don't usually close the door here." I get that. You don't want that guy from the Alaskan separatist party walking away with the Dallas sheriff's campaign finance reports.

Anyhow, I opened my door, grabbed a new pen and started reviewing the files. It's now been about 40 minutes since I first made the rueful decision to look into who's writing checks for Valdez and Cannaday. And I still know nothing. Now at long last I'm about to learn who is supporting which candidate. I feel like I'm on the cusp of grabbing the Holy Grail.

Except, wait. ... Valdez's most recent report has gone missing. Where did it go? Maybe it's wise they make us nut jobs keep the door open after all.

I go to the clerk, who doesn't believe that the report is missing and looks through the file herself. Nope, not there. The clerk walks away down a long, very bright hall, like the kind you might see during a near-death experience. When she makes it to the other side, she talks to her supervisor. It looks like they're having a very serious conversation. Let's hope everything is OK.

I finally get the file and am ready to make copies. Only the clerk, who became friendlier to me after I told her, out of desperation really, I was a reporter, says that she has to fax my request to her supervisor. I'll have the copies by Monday. Oh, and it's 25 cents a page.

So here we have a task--looking and printing finance reports--that should take 15 minutes, if that. I shouldn't even have to leave my laptop. Instead, this simple process will go on for four days, force me to drive on a busy highway to the elections department and take up the time of a clerk and two supervisors and will cost about 100 bucks and a few extra dollars to buy some more pens. Does this work for you?

It shouldn't. In a few days, we'll have those reports--and others-- online here at texaswatchdog.org. If there are any more files you need us to post, let us know. We won't make you close your door.