Wednesday, Artvoice Editor Geoff Kelly posted a dated list of city employees and what they earned. This provoked touchy responses from some city hall employees, as well as from Michael Hoffert, Vice President, AFSCME Local 650 AFL-CIO—comparing the article to supermarket tabloid-style journalism.

But what makes me pig-biting mad is that the information we printed is not some top-secret document, highly classified in the interest of national security. There were no “deep throat” sorts of meetings in dark parking lots to obtain it. That information is the property of every city resident—indeed, every American.

How people handle the truth is often very telling.

Some people thanked Geoff for posting the information, and asked that we look into other organizations. We’ll try, but here’s how you can help: Download this sample-foil-request-for-records, tailor it to suit your particular request, and send it off to the public officer of your choice. There are thousands to choose from in New York alone.

You can do it via email or snail mail. You don’t have to be a journalist, or a lawyer, or a judge. All you have to be is curious about your government, and possess the tenacity to fill out a one-page boilerplate, address it to the records officer or the head of whatever agency you choose to learn about, then put it in the mailbox or click send.

By law, you must receive a response either granting your request, or explaining—in convoluted legalese—the reason the information is being denied. At which point, you will be directed where to appeal the denial. Go ahead and do so. It takes two seconds, and if nothing else, you’ll have the satisfaction that some lawyer in some state office is actually doing some work for his taxpayer-funded salary and benefits.

In most cases, you’ll be surprised by what gets exposed. Sometimes, even a denial can tell you a lot about an organization. Bottom line? It’s all right there under our noses. All we have to do is ask for it.

Judging by the letters we receive, and the letters to the editor at any of our local papers, there are a lot of you out there who are frustrated and suspicious of the whole culture of secrecy cultivated by the powers that be. While writing a letter to the editor can be cathartic, and sounding off on a blog can help further public discussion, don’t forget you too have the power to demand answers from the top. Knowledge is power, and gaining knowledge is an enabling act. Remember, our government, and by extension, our public agencies, were created and should remain “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

Shame on any American who would criticize the release of public information. To do so is to advocate an ignorant populace. Generations of men and women have given their lives that we might live in a society where the freedom to petition authority is protected by law. Let freedom ring!

Good luck with your searches. Let us know what you find out. And God Bless America.

It’s been seven business days since I filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the City of Buffalo for all financial records related to the Mayor’s Impact Team since January 1, 2006. In that time…

• the chief of the Mayor’s Impact Team, the venerable political hack Bill Buyers, was caught by cameramen from Channel 7 with two of his crew working on his own home on city time, using city equipment (Day 1);
• Mayor Byron Brown suspended Buyers for 15 days without pay and his two crewmembers for five days without pay (Day 1);
• Assistant Corporation Counsel Cavette Chambers acknowledged receipt of my email FOIL request and promised to answer in 10 business days (Day 2);
• Councilmembers LoCurto, Kearns, and Fontana filed a resolution requesting that City Comptroller Andy Sanfilippo audit the Mayor’s Impact Team (Day 2);
• the Office of the Comptroller announced its intention to pursue an audit (Day 3).

Today, I asked Chambers et alia to shorten the timeline for fulfilling my request, arguing that the Comptroller’s intention to perform an audit suggests that the material I requested is being compiled for that purpose. I told Chambers that I expected to receive the requested information at the same time, if not before, the City Comptroller receives it. After all, I asked first, and the law requires that public records demanded under FOIL be furnished as quickly as possible.

Meantime, on Saturday morning I stopped by the Amherst Street VFW post where Buyers hosts a monthly breakfast, to see who would show up to support him (and, I guess to eat for free). There were maybe 50 or so cars in the parking lot, and Buyers stood by the back entrance glad-handing folks as they arrived.

I stayed long enough to see North District Councilmember Joe Golombek arrive.