Obama's Broken Promise: Federal Agencies Not More Transparent Under Obama Administration

[KoKo]

Obama's Broken Promise: Federal Agencies Not More Transparent Under Obama Administration
SHARON THEIMER | 03/16/10 11:54 PM |

WASHINGTON — One year into its promise of greater government transparency, the Obama administration is more often citing exceptions to the nation's open records law to withhold federal records even as the number of requests for information declines, according to a review by The Associated Press of agency audits about the Freedom of Information Act.

Among the most frequently cited reasons for keeping records secret: one that Obama specifically told agencies to stop using so frequently. The Freedom of Information Act exception, known as the "deliberative process" exemption, lets the government withhold records that describe its decision-making behind the scenes.

Obama's directive, memorialized in written instructions from the Justice Department, appears to have been widely ignored.

Major agencies cited the exemption at least 70,779 times during the 2009 budget year, up from 47,395 times during President George W. Bush's final full budget year, according to annual reports filed by federal agencies. Obama was president for nine months in the 2009 period.

The government's track record under the Freedom of Information Act is widely considered a principal measurement of how transparently it makes decisions. When Obama promised last year to be more open he said doing so "encourages accountability through transparency," and said: "My administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in government."

In a statement Tuesday during Sunshine Week, when news organizations promote open government and freedom of information, Obama noted the release of White House visitor logs and federal data online in recent months said his administration was recommitted "to be the most open and transparent ever."

"We are proud of these accomplishments, but our work is not done," Obama said. "We will continue to work toward an unmatched level of transparency, participation and accountability across the entire administration."

Also Tuesday, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and White House Counsel Bob Bauer urged agencies to improve their handling of information requests and assess whether they are devoting the resources needed to respond to requests promptly and cooperatively.

The AP's review of annual Freedom of Information Act reports filed by 17 major agencies found that the administration's use of nearly every one of the law's nine exemptions to withhold information from the public increased during fiscal year 2009, which ended last October.

The agencies cited exemptions at least 466,872 times in budget year 2009, compared with 312,683 times the previous year, the review found. Over the same period, the number of information requests declined by about 11 percent, from 493,610 requests in fiscal 2008 to 444,924 in 2009. Agencies often cite more than one exemption when withholding part or all of the material sought in an open-records request.

The administration has stalled even over records about its own efforts to be more transparent. The AP is still waiting – after nearly three months – for records it requested about the White House's "Open Government Directive," rules it issued in December directing every agency to take immediate, specific steps to open their operations up to the public.

More at...........

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/16/obamas-broken-promise-fed_n_500526.html

[jaysunb]

1. Hello !

Wow ! I haven't seen you around these parts for a while now.

:hi:

[KoKo]

8. In and out...coping like everyone else...

:hi:

[kenny blankenship]

2. Just toss it on the pile over there. We'll sort through it later, if there's time.

[FrenchieCat]

3. AP is so cute! Love that "fair and balanced opinion free, but not really" Wire service! LOL!

Good of you to lap it up and spit it out over here!


The article reads.....


Obama's directive, memorialized in written instructions from the Justice Department, appears to have been widely ignored.

Among the most frequently cited reasons for keeping records secret: one that Obama specifically told agencies to stop using so frequently. The Freedom of Information Act exception, known as the "deliberative process" exemption, lets the government withhold records that describe its decision-making behind the scenes.

The majority of agencies – 12 out of the 17, or 70 percent of those surveyed – increased FOIA requests granted in full, in part or both," LaBolt said late Tuesday.

Much of the Obama administration's early effort seems to have been aimed at clearing out a backlog of old cases: The number of requests still waiting past deadlines spelled out in the open-records law fell from 124,019 in budget year 2008 to 67,764 at the end of the most recent budget year. There is no way to tell whether people whose cases were closed ultimately received the information they sought.



In otherwords, the AP is out to trash this administration once more, by mixing 2008 with 2009 in terms of cases of requests waiting on information. The number of requests unsatisfied appears to have been reduced from 124,019 in the year 2008 (under Bush) to 67,764 at the end of 2009 Budget year (Under Obama) (although 2009 budget was the last Bush budget).


I'm not saying they couldn't do better, I'm just saying that one can't tell what is truly going on reading this piece of smear/trash.

[BlueMTexpat]

9. Thanks for trying to set the record straight.

Yes, they could do much better.
But there have definitely been improvements.
Of course, things were at an absolute nadir after *Co. And let's not forget that there are still "Trojan horses" left in the agencies by the cabal.

[salguine]

4. An unpleasant truth! Watch this get unrecced into oblivion.

[bemildred]

5. Get rid of the "deliberative process exemption".

If the argument cannot stand the light of day, than maybe it ought not be made at all. The whole "the people are just too stupid to understand how we make decisions properly" argument is crap anyway.

[KoKo]

7. Agree...wonder how it gets done to get rid of it. Congress Action...or what?

Whatever..it needs to go.

[emilyg]

6. k/r