[nfbmi-talk] Fw: FOIA Response to Request for Information on BSBPStudent Assistants

Thu Nov 7 12:37:00 UTC 2013

These are totally arbitrary and capricious.

Aside from that Ms. Duell who was cc'd on this and Ms. Haynes herself could 
generate this in minutes. It is after all a simple accounting measure , and 
annualized payroll. They have to do this on an ongoing basis for tax and 
retirement purposes. They have to use these numbers to report to RSA. They 
have to know just who is working for the agency, what they do, and how much 
they are paid.

Now, I suggest to Governor Snyder, the ultimate accountant and "run the 
state like a business" nerd that he look in to the management and accounting 
practices of this agency.

I mean the hours that these folks claim to use here for this simple thing 
are unrealistic as if there is a need for FOIA in the first place and as if 
these were legitimate in the first instance.

All should know that under law all school districts in Michigan are required 
to post such information upon their web site by the way.

Anyway if it takes almost an entire work day to generate the information for 
me and then once they have it an additional amount of time  to generate the 
same for you then either something is wrong with their systems; something is 
wrong with their personnel; something is skewed in their  estimates; or they 
are using FOIA to commit fraud upon the citizenry here.

I was considering paying for this one, but upon reflection I'd rather spend 
any time and money on legal action against these perversions. For remember 
the purpose of the FOIA in the first place is to root out waste, fraud and 
abuse.

Joe Harcz

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe Sontag" <suncat0 at gmail.com>
To: "NFBMI List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2013 9:45 PM
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] Fw: FOIA Response to Request for Information on 
BSBPStudent Assistants

And the beat goes on
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Haynes, Carla (LARA)
To: Joe Sontag
Cc: Rodgers, Edward (LARA) ; Luzenski, Sue (LARA) ; Pemble, Mike (LARA) ; 
Belknap, Katie (LARA) ; Duell, Elsie (LARA)
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2013 13:26
Subject: FOIA Response to Request for Information on BSBP Student Assistants

November 6, 2013

Mr. Joe Sontag

E-mail: suncat0 at gmail.com

1204 Morris Ave.

Lansing Michigan 48917

Re:  FOIA Response to Request for Information on BSBP Student Assistants

Dear Mr. Sontag:

This email is in response to your October 17, 2013, email request for 
information, received by this office on October 18, 2013, of which an 
extension was taken to November 7, 2013.  Please be advised that the Bureau 
of Services for Blind Persons is processing this request under the state's 
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231 et seq.

You have requested information as described in your email as:

"I am writing you for a complete list of the names of all Student Assistants 
employed by the Bureau at any time during fiscal year 2012-13, their job 
descriptions, hourly pay and total compensation received.

A response via e-mail reply with the information attached, together with any 
additional information you can provide regarding sources of this kind of 
data that I can access and utilize independently will be appreciated."

Your request is granted as to existing, nonexempt documents pertaining to 
your request.  We estimate that the time to process this request is 5 hours. 
Section 4(1) of the FOIA, MCL 15.234(1), provides that a public body may 
charge a fee for public record search, including the mailing costs, the cost 
of duplication or publication including labor, the cost of search,

FOIA Response - J. Sontag

November 6, 2013

Page 2 of 2

examination, review, and the deletion and separation of exempt from 
nonexempt information.

Please note that nothing within the federal American with Disabilities Act 
(ADA ), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (RA), as amended, or 
the state's FOIA (MCL 15.231 et seq.) requires a public body to process FOIA 
requests free of charge.  Further, while the ADA and Section 504 of the RA 
may mandate that, upon request, material be produced in an accessible format 
without charge, neither the ADA or Section 504 of the RA preclude a public 
body from charging costs under the state's FOIA. Thusly, please note that no 
labor fee charges have been, or will be, assessed to convert existing, 
nonexempt public records responsive to your requests into an accessible 
format to forward to you.

In order to complete the processing of your request, and based on the hourly 
wages and benefits of the lowest paid Department employee capable of 
performing the necessary tasks to process your request, we are requesting a 
deposit of $82.65 in order to begin the processing of this request.  An 
invoice is attached that outlines the costs.

Once payment is received for the deposit, we will start the processing of 
your request.  Once the process is complete, we will request payment for the 
additional amount of the actual cost of the request.  When we receive this 
payment, we will send the information either to you via email or to you in 
the U.S. Mail on a USB flash drive (depending on the amount of material 
responsive to your request).

Sincerely,

Carla Miller Haynes, FOIA Coordinator

Bureau of Services for Blind Persons

Attachments - 2:  Invoice & Email Request for Information

cc:                                           Edward F. Rodgers II, Sue 
Luzenski

                                                Mike Pemble, Katie Belknap, 
Elsie Duell

DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS

BUREAU OF SERVICES FOR BLIND PERSONS

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT INVOICE

NAME AND ADDRESS OF REQUESTER:

Mr. Joe Sontag

E-mail: suncat0 at gmail.com

1204 Morris Ave.

Lansing Michigan 48917

REQUEST RECEIVED:  October 18, 2013

TYPE OF REQUEST:  Email

REQUEST PARTIALLY DENIED:  To be determined

EXEMPT INFORMATION WITHHELD/REDACTED:  To be determined

EXTENDED RESPONSE NOTICE ISSUED:  Yes to 11-7-13

REQUESTED INFORMATION WILL BE:  Emailed/Invoiced For Payment

ACCOUNT CODE:  Index:   36200        PCA: 11343

DLARA CONTACT:  Melvin Farmer, Central FOIA Coordinator

(517) 373-0194, Ottawa Building, 4th Floor, 611 W. Ottawa, Lansing, MI 
48909

The FOIA provides that the department may charge a fee to comply with 
requests for public records.  The processing fee is composed of hourly wages 
and benefit costs of the lowest paid employee(s) capable of processing the 
request; the duplication of records at assessed costs per page; mailing 
costs; and other related special costs.  Prior to searching and copying 
requested records, the department may request full payment or 50% of the 
estimated costs exceeding $50.00 with the balance required before mailing 
the records.  Assessed costs are related to your request for:

"I am writing you for a complete list of the names of all Student Assistants 
employed by the Bureau at any time during fiscal year 2012-13, their job 
descriptions, hourly pay and total compensation received.

A response via e-mail reply with the information attached, together with any 
additional information you can provide regarding sources of this kind of 
data that I can access and utilize independently will be appreciated."

INVOICE CALCULATIONS

LABOR

                                                Locating and Duplicating 
Cost:

Number of Hours:  4 hrs. x Hourly Rate: $31.06 = Amount:      $124.24

                                                Examining and Extracting 
Cost:

                                                          Number of Hours: 1 
hrs. x Hourly Rate: $31.06 = Amount: 
$31.06

TOTAL LABOR:                     $155.30

POSTAGE (estimate):           $3.00

DUPLICATING:  Number of Pages (0) times Copying Rate of $0

OTHER (overtime, audio tapes, discs, photos, security, etc.):  $7.00 (for 
USB Drive)

SUBTOTAL:  $165.30

Less waived indigency fee under FOIA Act MCL 15.234 Section 4(1)

INVOICE TOTAL:                  $165.30

DEPOSIT*                              $82.65

BALANCE TO BE PAID*:     $82.65

Make check or money order payable to:         STATE OF MICHIGAN

Remit to:                                          Department of Licensing 
and Regulatory Affairs

Office Services Mailroom

7150 Harris Drive, PO Box 30015

Lansing, MI  48909

RETURN ORIGINAL COPY OF THIS INVOICE WITH YOUR PAYMENT

*Please note that if a deposit is requested, the indicated amount is an 
estimate of the cost of complying with your request.  The actual cost may 
vary somewhat from this amount.

From: Joe Sontag [mailto:suncat0 at gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 5:14 PM
To: Rodgers, Edward (LARA)
Cc: Pemble, Mike (LARA)
Subject: Request for Information on Student Assistants at BSBP

October 17, 2013

Joseph Sontag

1204 Morris Ave.

Lansing Michigan 48917

Edward F. Rodgers, Director

Bureau of Services for Blind Persons

Dear Ed:

I am writing you for a complete list of the names of all Student Assistants 
employed by the Bureau at any time during fiscal year 2012-13, their job 
descriptions, hourly

pay and total compensation received.

A response via e-mail reply with the information attached, together with any 
additional information you can provide regarding sources of this kind of 
data that I can access

and utilize independently will be appreciated.

Cordially,

Joe Sontag

Carla Miller Haynes

LARA Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP)

201 N. Washington Square, 2nd Floor

P.O. Box 30652

Lansing, MI  48909

Telephone:  517-373-2063 or Toll-Free 1-800-292-4200

Fax:  517-335-5140

www.michigan.gov/bsbp

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