The Torch of Scrutiny

Today's newscast spent some time dwelling on secrecy in public places.
It turns out our vaunted Freedom of Information Act doesn't apply to quite a number of governmental institutions. Places like Canada Post, the Canadian Wheat Board, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation are exempt from prying eyes. Ask a question about these taxpayer-funded bastions and you'll be told the answer is none of your business.
What is Canada Post hiding? It was implicated in the Liberal sponsorship scandal, but strangely, little has been heard about its alleged role. As for the CBC, as far as I am concerned it should be sold lock stock and barrel to the highest bidder. Or scrapped entirely.
Our universities, too, exist in shadow. Tuition costs have doubled since 1990, my first year. Even then I wondered why I was paying so much to have professors read textbooks at me. (And the texts! Some of them cost $100 or more...I'd love to know who was raking it in there, because it sure as hell doesn't cost anywhere near $100 to produce a textbook.)
Neale Donald Walsch, in his Conversations with God series, envisions a world where every price tag has two prices on it: "your" cost and "our" cost. Wouldn't that nip gouging in the bud? He also believes companies should publish the salaries of every one of their managers and workers online for the world to see. Do you think President Joe Schmo would gladly accept a million dollar bonus for presiding over a near-bankrupt company if everyone knew it was happening? Do you think that Susan would continue to be paid two thirds Steve's salary for the exact same job if she could click a mouse and see Steve's salary?
I hear people screaming at me that this violates their privacy rights. Oddly enough, the voices sound an awful lot like Mr. Schmo and Steve.
Look, anything that happens in a public space should, by definition, be public knowledge. I'm not advocating Big Brother should be able to look through my TV screen--that's in my private dwelling. (Then again, there's nothing illegal in here...B.B's more than welcome to check that out for himself. And if he happens to catch a glimpse of me walking around naked with the shades drawn, well, maybe he'll think twice about looking again.)
Honestly, I've *never* understood people who trumpet about the all-important right to privacy. All I can think about is 'what is it they're hiding?'