Obama denies significantly more FOIA requests than Bush

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

One of Obama's first acts as president was issuing the following memo about open government and the need to honor Freedom of Information Act requests:

The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails. The Government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears. Nondisclosure should never be based on an effort to protect the personal interests of Government officials at the expense of those they are supposed to serve.

In responding to requests under the FOIA, executive branch agencies (agencies) should act promptly and in a spirit of cooperation, recognizing that such agencies are servants of the public.

All agencies should adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure, in order to renew their commitment to the principles embodied in FOIA, and to usher in a new era of open Government. The presumption of disclosure should be applied to all decisions involving FOIA.

So how's this new era of open government working out? America got change all right, they got it good and hard:

One year later, Obama's requests for transparency have apparently gone unheeded. In fact a provision in the Freedom of Information Act law that allows the government to hide records that detail its internal decision-making has been invoked by Obama agencies more often in the past year than during the final year of President George W. Bush.

Major agencies cited that exemption to refuse records at least 70,779 times during the 2009 budget year, compared with 47,395 times during President George W. Bush's final full budget year, according to annual FOIA reports filed by federal agencies.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Transparency-Obama-denies-more-FOIA-requests-than-Bush-87799662.html#ixzz0ixHXdHNE

[Dan J 277]

How many of these requests are for his birth certificate?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

How many of these requests are for his birth certificate?

Probably half of them.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

How many of these requests are for his birth certificate?

Wouldn't those be covered by State of Hawaii document disclosure policies, not the FOIA? The Federal Government does not control the release of birth certificates. That is a local matter.

Edited March 23, 2010 by ##########

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Wouldn't those be covered by State of Hawaii document disclosure policies, not the FOIA? The Federal Government does not control the release birth certificates. That is a local matter.

Better tell Orly.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Better tell Orly.

She is the Right's version of Michael Moore, isn't she? Too bad nobody but the TP Memo and Daily Kos pays any attention to her.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

One of Obama's first acts as president was issuing the following memo about open government and the need to honor Freedom of Information Act requests:

The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails. The Government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears. Nondisclosure should never be based on an effort to protect the personal interests of Government officials at the expense of those they are supposed to serve.

In responding to requests under the FOIA, executive branch agencies (agencies) should act promptly and in a spirit of cooperation, recognizing that such agencies are servants of the public.

All agencies should adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure, in order to renew their commitment to the principles embodied in FOIA, and to usher in a new era of open Government. The presumption of disclosure should be applied to all decisions involving FOIA.

So how's this new era of open government working out? America got change all right, they got it good and hard:

One year later, Obama's requests for transparency have apparently gone unheeded. In fact a provision in the Freedom of Information Act law that allows the government to hide records that detail its internal decision-making has been invoked by Obama agencies more often in the past year than during the final year of President George W. Bush.

Major agencies cited that exemption to refuse records at least 70,779 times during the 2009 budget year, compared with 47,395 times during President George W. Bush's final full budget year, according to annual FOIA reports filed by federal agencies.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingto...l#ixzz0ixHXdHNE

Without knowing how many requests were received respectively, and the substance of those requests, these numbers mean bup-kiss.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Without knowing how many requests were received respectively, and the substance of those requests, these numbers mean bup-kiss.

a provision in the Freedom of Information Act law that allows the government to hide records that detail its internal decision-making has been invoked by Obama agencies more often in the past year than during the final year of President George W. Bush.

You know, things like those "secret" negotiations between Cheney and the oil companies, or Bush and the Drug companies. That kind of stuff.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

She is the Right's version of Michael Moore, isn't she?

No. Moore is off but Orly is nucking futs.