Still In Election Mode

Two  weeks from today. it will be over.

Councillors received a memorandum from Clerk John Leach on Friday. It was a summary of Freedom of Information requests from May to September 2010.

The first was  received on July 12 and released on August4th.

The description of the request reads;

All correspondence from senior management personnel to Councillor Buck relating to criticism of Town staff and of attempts to curtail or remove blog postings of Councillor Buck and all of Councillor Buck's responses to the said correspondence from Town Staff.

Noted In the disclosure column is  are the letters. FE. It means fully exempt.

It is being appealed.

The last requests is dated September 11th 

It reads:

Copy of all correspondence to Evelyn Buck prepared or signed by Neil Garbe,Christopher Cooper,Dan Elliott, Ilmar Simanovski,AlDowney,Marco Ramuno,Techa Van Leuwen,and or Jason Ballantyne re;
Ms Buck's blog postings or her letter(s)to the paper and copies of any responses provided by Ms Buck to the above.Also copy of all correspondence by same staff to Ms Buck wherein concern(s)raised relating to Ms Buck  use of confidential information for the period 2009 to current date.

This one is ongoing.

The identity of   a  person making a  request for  information is secret.

It's intriguing to contemplate. If there was such information,why would anyone want it. Even more interesting  is why would they think it exists.

  Blog posts are out there for all to see. Letters to the editor are as well. It's the nature of the beast.

If there is any personal information about an  employee, the  right to privacy would trump an application for freedom of information.

I have cited an empoyee's name in reference to his job function, removed it when requested and stated my regrets for any distress caused.

I do not use a computer in the town hall nor do I use the Town's e-mail address. My e-mails have a confidentiality clause attached. So that also raises an interesting  wrinkle.

I am informed I am entitled to receive copies of all material  provided under the FOI.

I await with bated breath.

I don't think so.

I thought the information about the process was interesting enough to pass  on. It illustrates, among other things, why there's a charge for the service.