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Air Force: File This Under 'Ignore'

By TChris, Section Court Decisions
Posted on Thu Apr 20, 2006 at 02:08:47 PM EST
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by TChris

The Freedom of Information Act has little value if government entities simply ignore requests for information. A federal judge concluded yesterday that the Air Force does just that.

[U.S. District Judge Rosemary] Collyer found that the Air Force had no defense - or essentially conceded - that it had failed to respond to requests under the Freedom of Information Act for up to 18 years in at least one case. The Air Force also ignored appeals of its denials of access to records for up to nine years, she said. ...

In a 12-page opinion, Collyer chastised the Air Force for its "dismal record" in responding to requests by the [National Security Archive], whose collection of documents is used by historians, academics and other researchers interested in national security.

The Air Force thought the judge should be satisfied with "We promise to be better from now on." She wasn't, in part because its "new Web-based system for tracking FOIA requests" is unfunded.

Collyer said she is concerned the new program will be troubled because it is decentralized, with no one person in charge.

"It is too little, too late," the judge said.

Judge Collyer "ordered the service to send an officer to a court hearing on May 22 who has authority 'to order that things be done'."

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    • Air Force: File This Under 'Ignore' | 9 comments (9 topical)
    Re: Air Force: File This Under 'Ignore' (none / 0) (#1)
    by marty on Thu Apr 20, 2006 at 03:40:52 PM EST
    Welcome once again to Bush's Amerika...where you citizens will just shut the hell up and accept what the government thinks you should know....which if they were truly honest, is nothing.

    Re: Air Force: File This Under 'Ignore' (none / 0) (#2)
    by Che's Lounge on Thu Apr 20, 2006 at 03:47:22 PM EST
    With friends like these, who needs enemies?

    Re: Air Force: File This Under 'Ignore' (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 20, 2006 at 03:53:33 PM EST
    Marty: Don't forget that it has been going on for 18 years.

    Re: Air Force: File This Under 'Ignore' (none / 0) (#4)
    by squeaky on Thu Apr 20, 2006 at 03:56:05 PM EST
    I guess that the Air Force thinks that it is above it all.

    Re: Air Force: File This Under 'Ignore' (none / 0) (#5)
    by Al on Thu Apr 20, 2006 at 04:04:58 PM EST
    That's right, Wiley, since the time of Ronald Reagan.

    Re: Air Force: File This Under 'Ignore' (none / 0) (#6)
    by cpinva on Thu Apr 20, 2006 at 06:01:18 PM EST
    That's right, Wiley, since the time of Ronald Reagan.
    ........and bush sr., and eight years of clinton. kind of nice to know the air force practices non-partison ignoring. somehow, this doesn't make me feel better.

    Re: Air Force: File This Under 'Ignore' (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 20, 2006 at 06:10:40 PM EST
    Al gets an A+ in subtraction for the night.

    Re: Air Force: File This Under 'Ignore' (none / 0) (#8)
    by Rational on Thu Apr 20, 2006 at 06:13:44 PM EST
    Why haven't the Generals in charge been cashiered, stripped of rank, pension and been given hard time for thier criminial activity? What else do we expect from from the merc's dishonoring our country.

    Re: Air Force: File This Under 'Ignore' (none / 0) (#9)
    by Sailor on Thu Apr 20, 2006 at 07:48:08 PM EST
    Wile is right, the AF is non-partisan when they ignore the law.

    Air Force: File This Under 'Ignore' | 9 comments (9 topical)