[nfbmi-talk] Questions About MCB Board Correspondence

[joe harcz Comcast]

Actually this issue was discussed at the Open Meeting Act and Freedom of 
Information Act staff and commission training on the issue conducted by 
Daphne Johnson and Tom Quasarano. Larry and I attended that meeting and I 
have a large part on tape. Regardless, any correspondence to any 
commissioner or staff is indeed a public record under the FOIA. Ms. Taekens 
was concerned about that but that is the law. In fact any e-mail or letter 
sent to a public official is not sheilded by confidentiality and again is 
public. It does not have to be rubber stamped as "official board 
correspondence" either which they still don't get.

I'll look up and post again later just what is a public document.

By the way that meeting was taped and that is a public document under the 
FOIA as it was taped for a public official, namely one of the commissioners.

The FOIA is clear and unambiguous on these items. In fact each and every 
e-mail I send to the Commission is a public document including all of my 
e-mails related to the FOIA itself.

One reason I use the MCB 2020 list and this one of course is to archive the 
issues and documents and so on and so forth.

The blatent violations of the FOIA by MCB are even worse than the OMA 
violations, and indeed the OMA and FOIA are joined at the hip so to speak.

Both require sunshine on the activities of our government.

Finally, there are ccduel obligations under the ADA and 504 to make such 
information accessable and with no surcharge to a blind person. And as Tom 
Quasarano pointed out to Cannon, "Federal law trumps state law." And the 
ADA, 504 are federal civil rights laws. And the Rehab Act is a federal law 
as well.

Anyway I hope I answerred your question and I will again put a link or post 
the entire FOIA which is very clear.

Peace with Justice,

Joe
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Elizabeth" <lizmohnke at hotmail.com>
To: "NFB Michigan" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2010 10:40 AM
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] Questions About MCB Board Correspondence


>
> Hello List,
>
> Does anyone know what rules, regulations, or laws speak on the issue about 
> the Board correspondence that is acknowledged during the Commission Board 
> meeting, or where I might be able to find such rules, regulations, and 
> laws regarding Board correspondence? I have noticed something interesting 
> regarding Board correspondence, and I would like to know what any rules, 
> regulations, or laws have to say about this issue.
>
> Also, does anyone know if Board correspondence is public record and could 
> be obtained through a Freedom of Information request? If Board 
> correspondence is a matter of public record, then it is possible that I 
> might be interested in obtaining copies of this correspondence as it was 
> sent to the Commission Board. I do not wish to share my observations 
> publicly at this point in time, but I am interested to know what others 
> have to say on this matter.
>
> Thanks,
> Elizabeth
>
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