The Department of Energy and the Securities and Exchange Commission (S.E.C.) have both proposed new rules to obstruct the public’s access to information guaranteed by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In the midst of financial collapse and rampant fear of fraud (aggravated by the S.E.C.’s own negligence), the S.E.C. has decided to capitalize on the public’s dire need for information by drastically raising its rates for processing information requests, from $16 to $26 per hour at the lowest employee experience level, and from $28 to $70 per hour for senior employees. Similarly, the Department of Energy is considering rescinding its long-standing “public interest balancing test,” which allows the department to release information it normally would safeguard if it considers disclosure to be in the public’s best interest. The Department of Energy is also doubling the price it charges for photocopies to 20 cents per page.