Agencies speak out
April 29, 2009: "Following a public records audit which several State Hornet reporters participated in, six of the 18 local public education agencies applauded the effort for seeking transparency, but were displeased with the audit's execution and the number of documents requested.
The audit took place on March 24 through a public rights forum organization known as Californians Aware. Eleven reporters from the Hornet entered the agencies as public citizens and made two requests, an oral request made in person and a written request that followed later that day." Read the full article here.
Lawsuit alleges Santa Clara County gouges public by overcharging for document copies
April 24, 2009: "A public interest group has sued Santa Clara County for allegedly gouging local residents with the highest fees in California to copy official documents such as real estate records, arguing that county officials are inflating the charges to illegally secure more revenue without taxpayer approval.
In a lawsuit filed this week in Santa Clara County Superior Court, Los Angeles-based California Public Records Research Inc. accuses the county recorder's office of capitalizing on a change in state law in the early 1990s to increase copying costs for records by 700 percent over a 15-year period. The group's research shows that the average $28 cost to copy a seven-page document in Santa Clara County is tops in the state." Read the full article here.
A transparency issue
April 22, 2009: "Transparency has been a buzzword on this campus for some time now. It has been a primary concern of President Alexander Gonzalez's; he has made the university's budget process more open and visible through the University Budget Advisory Committee.
On March 24, The State Hornet decided to put Sacramento State to the test and see if it achieved transparency." Read the full article here.
Suit costs official $86K
March 15, 2009: "Open-government advocate Richard McKee thought a case involving the Orange Unified School District would end in a slam dunk victory.
Courts in the state disagreed.
Now, after losing the $86,000 lawsuit, the former president of Californians Aware has had a lien placed on his home and his wages garnished by the district." Read the full article here.
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