Yearly Archives: 2007

Mark Fitzgerald dissects Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' recent rosy report claiming that federal agencies have improved their response to requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The fact that "more than half of the agencies -- 54 of them! -- actually met their mostly modest milestone goals on time" was heralded by Gonzales as a sign of "diligent and measurable progress," Fitzgerald says. "If my youngest kid brought home a report card from St. Thecla Elementary School with a mark of 59, the next time he touched his PlayStation controls he'd have to wipe away the cobwebs." Fitzgerald argues that FOIA backlogs would be reduced by the OPEN Government Act, currently stalled in the Senate thanks to a hold by Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ), who says he is acting on concerns raised by the Justice Department. "The same Alberto Gonzales who is trying to sell a rosy picture of a White House intent on making FOIA more accessible is sabotaging the very law that would accomplish that," Fitzgerald concludes. AAN encourages you to get involved in efforts to get these important FOIA reforms passed. To learn how, click here.