Tag Archives: law

Listen to Trump’s appeal to keep the ban in place

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Listen to the argument here before the Ninth Circuit of Appeals. Everyone should hear what Trump’s government is saying.

Via RealClear Politics:

At 3:00 PM Pacific (6:00 PM Eastern) on Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit federal appeals court in San Fransisco will hear oral arguments about the Justice Department’s case to reinstate President Trump’s travel ban: State of Washington v. Trump.

The issue at stake is not whether Trump’s travel ban is constitutional, but whether it will remain suspended. “The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!” President Trump said in a tweet about the originating decision from Seattle’s Federal District Court judge James Robart.

You can get the details of Charlie Baker’s budget cuts by public record request

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It worked!

To ring in the new year, I requested the details of Charlie Baker’s $118M in cuts to the state budget because his office told me repeatedly that the details of Charlie Baker’s budget cuts are not available for public circulation. And. It. Worked.

Unfortunately, the document they sent me was byte-for-byte identical to the list of cuts I found on Senator Eldridge’s website late last month. That list is incomplete is still incomplete. Non-earmark cuts total $64M. And I still do don’t know the details whatever Charlie Baker slashed from the state in those missing $64M of cuts.

Here’s the same document we already had: Charlie Baker’s 9C secret listing of budget cuts by line item and earmark.

Service from the Office of Administration and Finance was swift. I have to say, I’m impressed. The public records officer wrote back within one business day.

Because I had finally found someone who wasn’t trying to make it hard for me to figure out what was going on, I wrote to her to ask why this document wasn’t already posted publicly with the other information about the FY17 cuts?

(I accidentally got the name of the public access officer’s name. Her last name is Kim, not Tori. Deputy Counsel Kim, I’m very sorry.)

Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2017 at 10:07 PM
Dear Deputy General Counsel Tori,

Happy new year! And thank you very much for your prompt response.

Can you tell me why the document titled “December 6 9C earmark list” is not available on http://www.mass.gov/anf/budget-taxes-and-procurement/state-budget/fy17-budget-info/fy17-budget-savings-information/ or any other publicly accessible page on your website?

Thanks again very much!
Josh

She responded first thing the next morning. Again, I was really impressed and really happy to receive a prompt, direct response from someone in the Governor’s office. While just receiving an email at all was encouraging, her answer was a bit disappointing.

Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2017 at 9:25 AM
Dear Josh,

The materials posted online at www.mass.gov are those communicated to the Legislature under the law governing 9C action. The earmark list was an additional, separate document that we provided in response to your public records request.

I hope that helps.

Best regards,

-Tori

So, the Governor does the absolute bare minimum required by law when it comes to posting information that effects millions of people across the entire Commonwealth. That’s not the sort of leadership I want from my governor. I’d like the Governor to make it as easy as possible for the people of Massachusetts to know how his cuts to public services will effect them. So I thought I’d help him.

Within minutes of reading Deputy Counsel Kim’s response—hoping that she was still at her computer— I scrambled to ask her to post the list of cuts by earmarks for state services on the Governor’s website:

Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2017 at 9:27 AM
Dear Tori,

Thanks again for the swift response.

The earmark list makes it much easier to see which individual programs will be effected locally by the Governor’s cuts. To show that the Governor and his administration are dedicated to transparency in government, will ANF post the December 6 earmark list with the other FY17 budget savings documents?

Thanks again very much,
Josh

Can you guess what happened next? Silence. Not a yes, not a no. Nothing.

Call the Governor and ask for government transparency

Please call the governor’s office (617) 725-4005 and ask Charlie Baker to post the 9C budget cuts by earmark online. Here’s a script you can use:

Hi, my name is Joshua Reyes and I live in Cambridge, MA. Who, may I ask, am I speaking with? Hi, John! How are you today?

I was wondering whether Charlie Baker supports a transparent state government?

I have read Governor Charlie Baker’s December 9C budget cuts listed by earmark. This list makes it much easier for individuals to understand which specific public services will be effected by his recent budget cuts. To show that the Governor is dedicated to a free, open, and transparent government, will he post the 9C budget cuts by earmark with the other documents on the FY17 Budget Savings webpage for the public to read?

I’d like a response. If the answer is no, I’d like to know why the governor refuses to post a document that will make it easier for people to understand how his decisions will effect them.

Thank you and have a nice day!

Please let me know who you speak with and what they say!

You can help a service Charlie Baker defunded!

You can help the individual services, too! Charlie Baker defunded the Samaritans, Inc., a suicide prevention and support service. The good folks at Samaritans have fielded over 2.5 million calls. Consider giving them some of what Charlie Baker took away!

Request the full budget cuts under new 2017 law!

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Happy new year!

A new law to make public records easier to get went into effect today!

Starting January 1, 2017, new public records access officers will start working to provide you with public records quickly and easily. Since Charlie Baker’s office has been trying to keep the details of governor’s $118M cuts to the state budget a secret, I decided to ring in the new year by testing out the new law.

To request a document, you need to go to the appropriate agency—in this case it’s the Office of Administration and Finance—find the record access officer, and submit a letter. The law doesn’t specify how to write the letter, so I used a template from the State Secretary’s website.

It’s quick and easy to make the request yourself! Here’s what to do:

  1. Fill out this request form with your name and contact information.
  2. In the field Summary of the Request, answer:

    A complete list of FY17 9C budget cuts by line item and earmark

  3. Open up Notepad (or Word or your favorite text editor) and copy and paste this letter into a new document. Replace parts in red with your personal information.
    [Today’s date]

    Tori Kim
    Executive Office for Administration & Finance
    Attn: Records Access Officer
    State House, Room 373
    Boston, MA 02133

    Re: Massachusetts Public Records Request

    Dear Ms. Kim:

    This is a request under the Massachusetts Public Records Law (M.G.L. Chapter 66, Section 10). I am requesting that I be provided a copy of the following records:

    A complete listing of the FY17 9C budget cuts by line item and earmark.

    The document entitled FY17 9C Line Item Listing posted under the FY17 Budget Savings Information in the Budget, Taxes, Procurement & Regulations section of the Administration and Finance website does not include a break-down of each cut by earmark. I am requesting a finer-grain document. Multiple constituent aides in the Governor’s office have confirmed by phone that such a document exists.

    I recognize that you may charge reasonable costs for copies, as well as for personnel time needed to comply with this request. If you expect costs to exceed $10.00, please provide a detailed fee estimate.

    The Public Records Law requires you to provide me with a written response within 10 business days. If you cannot comply with my request, you are statutorily required to provide an explanation in writing.

    Sincerely,

    [Your Name]
    [Your Mailing Address]
    [Your Telephone Number]
    [Your Email Address]

  4. Upload the letter you just made in the section that says Upload full PRR document.
  5. Click Make Request.
  6. Call the Office of Administration and Finance at (617) 727-2040 to confirm they received your request.

    Here’s a quick script:

    Happy new year! My name is Joshua Reyes and I live in Cambridge, MA. I’m calling to check on the status of my public record request.

    Can you tell me the status of my request for a complete listing of financial year 2017 9C budget cuts by line item and earmark?

    Thank you and have a good day!

It is possible that Charlie Baker’s office will deny the public record request. If they continue to hide the details of Charlie Baker’s massive $118M cuts to the state budget, they will be required under law to explain why they will not give you the information. And then we can appeal! (Here’s a guide to the public records law from start to finish.)

Let me know how it goes! I’ll do the same.