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Monday, January 01, 2007

Law keeps citizens engaged

The state's Freedom of Information Act is a powerful tool for citizens to make informed decisions.

By John M.R. Bull
(Newport News) Daily Press

Open & Shut: Testing access to Virginia's public records

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Virginia's newspapers and The Associated Press set up a test to gauge how well the state's local governments respond to requests for public records from average citizens.

Beginning Sept. 12, more than 120 Virginians who were employed by news organizations visited city and county government offices seeking information that is public under the state Freedom of Information Act . The data collectors, who included reporters, editors, interns and others, asked for the following:

  • The most recent two weeks of e-mail correspondence between a city's mayor and other city council members or between the county chairman and the county board of supervisors.
  • The previous weekend's daily crime log or felony incidents information, as kept by police or sheriff's departments.
  • The most recent fire inspection reports for two schools, usually a high school and an elementary school. The records first were requested from each local government's fire department.

The individuals requesting the information identified themselves only as citizens. The reason was to test if the average Virginian, without benefit of any affiliation, could obtain information that is supposed to be equally accessible to all people in the state. The data collectors were instructed not to lie or misrepresent themselves in any way.

Under state law, a government official can ask someone for his or her name and address. However, government officials cannot bar people from obtaining a public record if they decline to say where they work or why they want to examine it.

— Associated Press

A Nelson County couple uncovered a taxpayer-financed African safari junket by Virginia officials in 2003, sparking firings, resignations and investigations.

A Chesterfield woman discovered an $18,170 airplane flight on the citizens' tab by a county administrator in 2005, causing a ruckus.

The state's Freedom of Information Act is a powerful tool, most often used by average citizens who want to know how their money is spent and other decisions made by their state and local governments.

"Citizens need to be engaged, to be involved in government activity, and to watch what their government is doing," said Frosty Landon, head of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government.

"At the heart of it, if you are going to have an informed citizenry and vote on Election Day, they have to know what government is up to," he said. "This is not a media privilege law. It's a citizen access law."
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