Excessive secrecy makes government less trustworthy and the public less safe. But it's on the increase in Washington.

The accelerating push to hide government workings from the public is detailed in the "Secrecy Report Card," produced by a coalition of more than 70 groups that advocate open government.

Among the highlights:

• Competitive bidding of federal contracts has dropped by almost 25 percent since 2000. More than $114 billion worth of contracts were given out without competition in 2007.

• Secrecy is especially acute in the Department of Defense, where 18 percent of the acquisition budget is classified.

• Scientific and technical advice is increasingly hidden from the public. A 1972 act of Congress required that federal advisory committees meet in the open. But last year the government used exemptions to close 64 percent of the advisory committee meetings.

This kind of secrecy in government encourages cronyism, drives up costs to taxpayers and worsens the national debt.

Overall, last year saw a continuing trend of the federal government classifying more information, keeping patents secret and invoking the "state secrets" privilege.

Some confidentiality is necessary. But the administration's insistence on executive power and secrecy has eroded public confidence in government.

Fortunately, some in Congress acknowledge the problem.

The House has passed a reform bill called the Over-Classification Reduction Act. Among other things, it would require more justification for classifying documents, and create a process to reward employees and contractors for challenging improper classification decisions.

Senate passage of the act would be a step forward.

— The Kansas City Star• • •The fellow who writes tax law for the entire country can't even get his personal tax returns right.That's why Speaker Nancy E. Pelosi, D-Calif., should remove Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. The post requires Rangel to be above reproach, and he has not met that high standard.Rangel admitted that he owes the IRS as much as $5,000 for failing to report income from a beachfront villa he owns in the Dominican Republic. He will end up owing New York state and New York City another $5,000 or so.This is the guy who plays a powerful role in deciding the winners and losers in every new tax law approved by Congress. He ought to at least inspire confidence among taxpayers that he's living up to regulations that he imposes on others.Rangel said his mistake was unintentional. He said he tried to get the correct financial information from the resort's managers, who collect the rent. But he was stymied by a language barrier — they speak Spanish.Rangel's excuse is muy imperfecto. Half of his congressional district speaks Spanish, and his Web site can be translated into Spanish. Surely the chairman could have found someone who understands the U.S. tax code and Spanish to unravel his financial liabilities before a reporter did.Even if it were an innocent mistake, Rangel's gaffes have been piling up. He also faces ethics probes for allegedly misusing rent-controlled apartments in New York and writing letters on congressional stationery seeking donations for an education center that is named after him.Rangel won't step down as chairman, and wants his detractors to wait for the outcome of the ethics probe. Pelosi said she won't remove Rangel. She should reconsider.

— The Philadelphia Inquirer