Sunshine Week starts today (public's right to know)

[donsu]

http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2005503130317


Sunshine Week will focus on the public's right to know

Beginning today, The Daily Advertiser joins with print and broadcast media throughout the nation in observance of "Sunshine Week." The observance is intended to focus on the public's right to know, and on those laws created to protect that right. It is appropriate that the observance take place at this time, because Wednesday will be the anniversary of the birth of James Madison. It was Madison who said "A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy or perhaps both."

Sunshine Week reaffirms Madison's words. Besides being a reminder to the media of its duty to challenge any attempt to bar public access to public information, it is also intended to inform citizens of the laws that protect their right to know, and encourage use of those laws.
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also this:

http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/Press/information/topic.aspx?topic=how_to_FOIA


How To File an FOIA Request

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Introduction
The Freedom of Information Act is the federal law, enacted in 1966, that makes government information accessible to the people. The law is based on the presumption that individuals have a right to know what their government is up to and that government agencies have a duty to provide full disclosure of all records that are not specifically and reasonably exempt.

FOIA applies to all 15 departments (Education, Homeland Security, etc.) and 73 other federal agencies (Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Reserve System) in the executive branch of the U.S. government. It does not apply to the president, Congress or the courts. It does not apply to state governments (though each of the 50 states has its own freedom-of-information laws, as do many cities). (See Freedom of Information Act federal statute.)

The act lays out what kinds of information agencies must publish as a matter of course — both in print and, thanks to a 1996 amendment, electronically on their Web sites. It also grants individuals the right to request copies of records not normally prepared for public distribution, and sets standards for determining which records must be made available.

It specifies what kinds of records may be withheld from disclosure by agency discretion through its nine exemptions and three exclusions.
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"joins with print and broadcast media"

anybody hear this?

[SpiralHawk]

1. "Isn't it over yet?" - BushCo

Move along.

There never was anything to see here, and there never will be.

True Patriots (TM) shall tune into Faux news now for the latest updates on the Jacko trial.

And always remember, Big BushCo loves you.