July 2007

• Michigan has very active press coverage regarding Open Records issues, including this article from the MetroWest Daily News. Take a look at the Michigan page of this wiki for more. July 31, 2007
• Public land records are now available on a secure website for Albemarle County, VA ... if you can afford it. July 29, 2007
• Privacy vs. Transparency. Which is more important when it comes to cases of child abuse? July 29, 2007
• Good news for citizens journalists. July 26, 2007
• When California Assembly member's car is damaged, taxpayers pay to fix it. July 26, 2007
• Using open records to investigate elections. July 25, 2007
• Are you interested in learning more about how public hospitals are run? Tough! in Mississippi, and Too bad! in North Carolina. July 25, 2007
• The New York Times chimes in on Freedom of Information. July 23, 2007
• Forget moving them to a new building. Put the documents online! July 22, 2007
• Well, it's festival season. Have you ever wondered how safe that Tilt-a-Whirl is? July 22, 2007
• Attorney-client privilege vs. the Public's Right to Know July 20, 2007
• If ever a situation deserved a FOIA... July 18, 2007
• Paul Johnson discovered some questionable activity in his hometown after filing an Open Records request. When he brought the information to the state supervisor, he was told:
  "There is a presumption that all government employees perform their duties in an honest and impartial manner” --supervisor of records Alan Cote. Really? Trust and confidence is the first thing that comes to people's minds when they think of government? News to me... July 17, 2007
• Nearly every day I get a surprise about the fascinating ways people are utilizing FOIA laws to learn more and better their communitites.

• West Nile case: Public health vs. privacy The decision to release the location of infected horses lies with a judge. July 14, 2007
• A Spokane County jail supervisor is refusing to submit a request for a prisoner's visitor log to the prisoner. These logs are not subject to disclosure by FOIA laws, but can be released if the inmate gives permission. Of course, the inmate needs to be aware that someone is asking for permission in order to grant (or deny) it... July 14, 2007
• The Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro, Tennessee has some harsh words for the TN Ethics Commission. July 13, 2007
• Fine, be that way! July 12, 2007
• According to one party in this situation:
  "the release of any of these records would violate the city’s severance agreement with Mr. Dringoli.” Sounds to me like the city made an inappropriate severance agreement. July 12, 2007
• The FOIA Shell Game July 11, 2007
• Maybe sometimes records can be a little too open. July 10, 2007
• Gonzales Was Told of FBI Violations. See how useful FOIA is? July 10, 2007
• More complaints about concealed carry permit-holders names' being publicized. July 5, 2007
• What's with sports programs being unwilling to allow any public oversight? July 5, 2007
• An interesting use of public records to promote pedestrian safety. July 4, 2007
• Wired Magazine puts together the top 5 technology related FOIA requests of the last 40 years. July 4, 2007
• Groups Urge Senate to Enact FOIA Reform on the Law’s 41st Birthday, July 3, 2007
• Whistleblower Adam Finkel files a FOIA request with OSHA. July 2, 2007
• The Knight Open Government Survey has produced this 37 page study conducted by the National Security Archive. Great information in here about the lack of respect that the federal government has for FOIA. Or, as one blogger put it: Happy Birthday, FOIA! You Suck. July 2, 2007
• Agencies slow in responding to FOIA requests. No! Really? July 1, 2007
• Union could sue over ISP report. Well, sure they COULD... that still dosen't mean that the documents are not public. July 1, 2007
• A state agency has stopped disposing of records related to consumer disputes with insurance companies after lawyers and open records advocates decried the loss of a wealth of information that could be used to hold the industry accountable. July 1, 2007

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