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Getting Your Government Files Via the FOIA

Posted by Zonk on from the let-my-info-go dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Bad Guys blog is marking America's third annual Sunshine Week: 'a national effort to cast light onto the growing recesses of government secrecy'. US News is offering up the latest information on the Freedom of Information Act, with links to filing FOI requests to US states, the federal government, and 67 other countries. 'Often the records can be obtained by simply asking for them, but since 9/11, federal agencies have grown increasingly stubborn about what they release. A just-released survey by the National Security Archive found that only 1 in 5 federal agencies meets congressionally mandated requirements for online information access. There's hope, though: A new bill is making its way through the House of Representatives, with bipartisan backing, that would strengthen the FOIA, one of a host of open government measures being looked at by the new Congress.'"

6 of 38 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Oh nooooes! by Khaed · · Score: 2, Funny

    Probably me. I'm really boring. No speeding tickets, no trouble in school, no arrest record.

    I've yet to even piss off an elected official or go to any protests.

    Sigh. How can I change the world yet still be lazy?

  2. Security Clearance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Maybe now I can find out why my interim security clearance was denied.

    1. Re:Security Clearance by LinuxGeek · · Score: 3, Funny

      Obviously the government wont hand out security clearances to Anonymous Cowards. Duh.

      --

      Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. - Mark Twain
  3. Re:Oh nooooes! by e9th · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't worry. I'm sure that just making an FOIA request will fatten up your file quickly.

  4. Re:Oh nooooes! by anthony_dipierro · · Score: 2, Funny

    Don't worry. I'm sure that just making an FOIA request will fatten up your file quickly.

    Yeah, reminds me of the story about the guy who made a FOIA request asking for a copy of his FBI file, and received a copy of his FOIA request.

  5. Re:How about a new law? by slughead · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's one of the reasons that I try to be civil and friendly to the cops. If they feel like they are part of the same community as me, they're more likely to voluntarily 'do a bit more than they have to' to help me.

    Well, you can suck up to authority and *hope* they protect you all you want. I'll sleep better at night with Hans and his MG-42 behind my front door waiting for a beach landing on my porch. ... FROM HANS' COLD DEAD HANDS!!

    Happy St. Patty's day everybody! *black out*

    --
    Latewire