canyon county, idaho
Canyon County Refuses Freedom of Information Request
Oopsie, he threw them away!By Sharon Fisher, 1-03-09
 |
|
 | |
| The dress | |
|
The Kuna-Melba News, a weekly paper that covers western Ada County and eastern Canyon County, is reporting that Canyon County has refused a Freedom of Information request for the messages Canyon County Commissioner Steve Rule sent out from his county email account on Dec. 2, comparing First Lady-elect Michelle Obama to a black widow spider.
“I understand from Commissioner Rule that he does not retain sent email,” the paper reported it was told. “I also consulted with the County IT Department and understand that Commissioner Rule’s sent emails are not archived by them.”
The paper reported that it had filed one FOI request on December 15, asking for a copy of all of Rule’s sent e-mails for the months of October and November. “Two days after the Dec. 15 request was referred to the Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Samuel B. Laugheed sent a letter to the Kuna Melba News on Dec. 17, seeking an extension of the deadline on my request,” the paper reported. “On Dec. 29, Laugheed sent another letter, denying the request for information.”
Thinking that perhaps the email messages had been automatically deleted after 30 days, the paper re-filed the request on Dec. 29, asking for sent email from December. According to the paper, Laugheed sent a response on Dec. 31: “As previously stated in our December 29, 2008, letter responding to your request of December 15, 2008, I understand from Commissioner Rule that he does not retain sent email.”
Aside from this particular issue, it raises troubling questions about oversight of Canyon County government. Really? Canyon County commissioners are not required to save email messages they send out from their official account? And the county organization doesn’t archive them, either?
So what happens if a county commissioner sends out something patently illegal or unethical from their account? They’re off the hook by not saving it? Few other governmental organizations allow this.
Moreover, this opens Canyon County up to legal issues. The rules for electronic discovery and evidence in civil cases were changed as of Dec. 2006, and throwing up your hands and saying, “We don’t have them” is no longer taken as an excuse by judges.
Like this story? Get more! Sign up for our free newsletters.
Comments
This has nothing to do with him keeping e mails. How would we even know that if he hadn't been so vosciously attacked in the first place for forwarding a simple joke that you don't like?
This has gone way too far. Is this what B. Hussein Obama has wrought on this great natioin? Are we to live in fear of ever inadvertently offending him or his radical followers?
Kinda sounds like what the other Hussein did to the Iraqi people.
Is this the kind of country you people really want?
This guy is a COUNTY COMMISSIONER he isn't President. He isn't even a mayor. This is not Watergate.
What in the world is wrong with you people?
Are all of my private records suddenly going to be investigated
be cause I offended the Messiah?
Great way to bring the country together.
It is not about a joke sent by email, it is about an open and transparent government. Not only are FOI requests refused but abuse of executive sessions is also abused in Canyon County on a frequent basis at both city and county levels of government. Additionally, I would offer the County Employee Handbook has a policy prohibiiting personal use of county computers for email etc.
We did not elect these people as saints but we certainly expect a level of respect and decorum out of them in their official capacities whatever their elected office.
Is it any wonder Idaho ranks 44th in the nation for open and transparent government. The unstated goal may be to have us 50th for this next year.
Let's start with B. Hussein's medical records, birth certificate and relationships with some pretty shady people.
Change we can believe in.
Joe the plumber wasn't a public servant. Just an American citizen who dared ask a relevent question the Messiah didn't know how to lie his way out of.
You left wing nutjobs tried to destroy him.
Change we can believe in.
And even though it is completely off-topic, Obama released his birth certificate back in June. Might have escaped your attention? Anyway, this isn't about Barack Obama.
If that's not what you meant, then please let me know.
Tom, You're right (in more ways than one) he is the chosen one, by a very large majority. And he's gonna use his whole name when he's inaugurated. Can't you just hear it? "I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States" " on a Bible, before Chief Justice Roberts. Now here's a citizenship lesson for you, if you can read it. Please repeat "President Barack Hussein Obama". SAY IT!
Sounds like what you need is a little racial sensitivity training, you know, the kind lacking at the Canyon County Courthouse. You know how I can tell? You start your rant with the phrase "You people". Well you're partly right again, at least one of us is human. Try to take deep breaths or its going to be a long eight years.
The "not working" was because I tried a post three times and it just kept going away. So I tried "not working" to see if it would go through and it did. By then I was tired of typing the same comment, so I gave up and went to bed.
As a guy who spent a good part of the '70's being called a "nigger lover", I don't think I need advice from you about racial sensitivity training.(which, incidentally was mandatory on the last ship I served on in 1975).
YOU PEOPLE have got to develop enough inteligence to know that everyone who disagrees with Obama is not a racist. And when did "You people" become a racist statement?
Canyon County uses OUTLOOK for email in their system. OUTLOOK automatically puts a copy in the "SENT" file of a users email on their computer. This is just one more example of a FIO request not honored by Canyon County deciders. The only reasonable explanation for not having this is the delete key.
Idaho ranks 44th for ethics in government and this isn't helping.
Regardless, I don't think it's appropriate for elected officials to have their systems set up that way.
And LOL, do yourself a favor, let spell check be your friend. Impugning my intelligence with an incorrect spelling doesn't really cause me much concern.
If the messages were deleted, they are still available for 90 days or so if you know where to look.
And, really, syphilis? Tom, you're stooping to name calling? Pitiful attempt at a cheap shot, or a cheesy effort at trolling.
"you have to elect that"
<http://www.idahostatesman.com/apusnews/story/625362.html>
We are all prejudice in aspect or another. I will say though that Rule was way out of line to use his puter in his office to send a stupid comment like he did.
I don't like ignorant people telling me we need to "stay the course" or "get um over there so they won't come over here" is pure BS. "They" got over here once and could well do it again no matter if we have patrols in the street or none at all.