[10317] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
(fwd excerpt) WA Gov re "Commercial Access" to Electronic Records
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jim Warren)
Mon Jun 24 20:38:50 1996
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 13:25:43 -0500 (CDT)
From: Jim Warren <jwarren@well.com>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
This seems especially relevant to a current pub-rcds-access thread in
FOI-L. It is the beginning and end of a long copy (~10KB) a letter from
Washington State's Governor to that state's newspaper publishers'
association, and interleaved commentary/observations by open-govt activist
Peter Marshall. For the compete copy, you might contact Peter or Rowland
Thompson (both below).
It *doesn't* look good!
--jim
Jim Warren, GovAccess list-owner/editor, advocate & columnist (jwarren@well.com)
345 Swett Rd., Woodside CA 94062; voice/415-851-7075; fax/<# upon request>
>Date: Sat, 22 Jun 1996 10:22:31 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Peter Marshall <rocque@eskimo.com>
>To: wa-info-policy@eskimo.com
>Subject: WA Gov.'s Spin: "Commercial Access" to Electronic Records
>
>> June 12, 1996
>>
>> Mr. Rowland Thompson
>> Executive Director
>> Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington
>> P.O. Box 29
>> Olympia, WA 98507-0029
>>
>> Dear Rowland:
>>
>> This is in response to your recent letter raising concerns about my plans to
>> review current practices and policies regarding the release of governmental
>> records for commercial, profit-making purposes and the protection of
>> personal privacy rights of individuals who are subjects of those records.
<huge body snipped out by me, but note, below, how the Gov tries to buy off
the press, while presumably planning to gouge high fees outs of everyone
else ... including libraries, students, researchers and of course, mere
citizens --jim>
>> You should be aware, however, that I have specifically instructed the work
>> group to not consider media access to government records as a commercial use
>> when such access is being requested for reporting purposes.
<more segments snipped out>
>> I hope this letter explains my reasoning for undertaking this study. Should
>> you have additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>>
>> MIKE LOWRY
>> Governor
>>
>>
>>
>> cc: The Honorable Clyde Ballard
>> The Honorable Marlin Applewick
>> The Honorable Sid Snyder
>> The Honorable Dan McDonald
>> The Honorable Mary Margaret Haugen
>
>[....]
