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Thursday, November 1, 2007
Media Portland’s Public Information Costs $772.20
Posted by on Thu, Nov 1 at 4:47 PM
Two weeks ago I wrote an extraordinarily paranoid blog post about new sprinklers in Waterfront park. Blogtown readers told me I was acting like a parody of myself and they were right. I was. And I’ve even said sorry to a few people about it. As Churchill said, “I have never developed indigestion from eating my words.”
Still—following up from my baseless, prematurely-voiced suspicion that an eight-head sprinkler system may have been installed in the park as a way to deter homeless people from sleeping there, (NOT TRUE! NOT TRUE! NOT TRUE!) I made a Federal Open Information Act request to the city, asking for copies of theoretically public records relating to the park in question.
Now, whether or not I’m a paranoid idiot who should be focused on other things (which I am), or becoming fanatical about my pursuit of the Portland Business Alliance (becoming…?), guess how much the city wants to charge to furnish me with that information? Oh, shit. I wrote it in the headline. Is that right? Or do you think my unhealthy fixation should be more cheaply sated?
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: Two kinds of paper trail…
More after the jump. But be warned, I quote Churchill again. Twice.
The paranoid basis of my journalistic hunch, vociferously denied by Saltzman's office, and I'm sure, rightly so, was that the Portland Business Alliance/its Clean & Safe program may have lobbied in some way for the sprinkler system to be installed as a deterrent to camping, rather than just to re-seed the lawn after a busy summer.
Seriously, I'm not kidding, this is the hunching of a conspiracy theorist, and if I were you, I'd be writing a letter to the editor about my ineffectiveness right about now. It was Churchill, too, who said: "We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out," and really, I'm a slave to nonsense on this issue. Why are you still even reading?
Nevertheless, on the basis of that hunch—and hey, what the hell else am I supposed to work with, the facts???—I wrote the city asking it to search for the term "Waterfront Park" in any public record email received by or sent to the following addresses between 9/18/2007 and 10/18/2007:
Mark Warrington, Portland Parks & RecAs I say, my request was the result of paranoia, I'm sure. But I thought, "It can't hurt to have a poke through the paper trail." Because that's a little part of my job, once I've alienated everyone in town by writing sensationalist stories about them nobody trusts, I mean—to noodle through paper trails, looking for something unlikely, sensational, controversial, or just not there. Last Churchill quote for this afternoon: "A man may occasionally stumble over the truth. Most men pick themselves up and keep on going."
Margaret Evans, PP&R
Lisa Turpel, PP&R
Zari Santer, PP&R
Dan Saltzman (basically, the Commissioner's office)
Mike Kuykendall (Portland Business Alliance VP of Central City/Downtown Services)
Bill Sinnott (Director of PBA's Downtown Clean & Safe Services)
Sandra McDonough (PBA's President & CEO)
If you want to give me $772.20, please, do. Because that's the only way I'm ever going to see those emails. Or, if you happen to work for a RICH, MULTI-NATIONAL media organization and fancy following up on my non-story, you've got to ask yourself one question: Is it worth your while? Probably not.
The reality is, this information will probably never see the light of day, because it isn't effectively public, because I can't afford to see it. Whether or not the information is IMPORTANT is not the issue. Nor is whether I'm a lousy journalist—that's pretty much been decided, right? I just don't think it's healthy for democracy to charge that much to (avoid?) answer(ing?) a question.
I'm not saying I don't trust the people telling me this never happened. What I want is confirmation of my non-story—and a slightly cheaper easing of my cheapened, hackish mind.
Comments
Thanks, Grass! But it's not true. I'm just saying, it costs a lot to prove to myself I'm paranoid...
Sprinklers or no sprinklers, WTF is it with asking for nearly three-quarters of $1000 for (ahem) public information?
And they're emails. Which could be forwarded with that newfangled Intermet for a fraction of a cent in actual cost.
And the price...$772.20??? Again, WTF? Was $772.00 deemed too cheap or something?
The costs are broken down in this pdf: Download file.
Just start panhandling in front of City Hall Matt. I'm sure you would make the money in no time...
Mate, I'll be a street musician. And tap dance!
Just bring a chair and a laptop. Use your computer as an instrument. Then you could blog life outside of City Hall, and ask questions on lunch while your making a few on the side.
You wouldn't have to be so paranoid, Matt, if everybody wasn't out to get you.
Well somebody has to pay for the time it takes to indulge your intellectual paranoia, and I don't think it should be me the taxpayer, so yes, I think the City is right to charge you for the costs of collecting the information you have requested. If you or the Merc were half serious about this investigation, it would be a small price to pay. And if you didn't have to help pay for it, you might sit around and launch public records requests all day just to satisfy your peculiar curiosities on any number of subjects, no?
Interesting, though. I did not know they were charging for this.
The costs are broken down in this pdf: Download file.
ZOMG. My eyes just glazed over. Clearly I am in the wrong line of work!
Matt, make sure you request that the "Waterfront park" search be case insensitive. This way you will get "waterfront park" and "Waterfront Park". If someone were to donate you the money would you pay it in unwrapped pennies in burlap bags with the cent sign on them?
No offense Jeff, but accountability, transparency of government and universal public access to information is a service that I feel my tax money should provide. To me what Matt is pointing out is an obvious barrier put in place to limit those without resources (i.e. poor) to get information on how their government represents them.
Remember Kids, lack of a home home and well paying job should not make you any less of a citizen.
Jeff: I think the taxpayers should foot the bill, since we vote for leaders who pledge to be open and transparent.
If you'd prefer government to be inaccessible to the people, that's fine. But I think you'll have a problem getting elected.
Now, whether we have to stand by our "transparency" pledges, or just appear to, that's a different matter. Especially in this country:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/washington/30fema.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
You might sit around and launch public records requests all day just to satisfy your peculiar curiosities on any number of subjects, no?And that would be a bad thing, why?
Jason, that's a good idea.
The City Attorney said that would be time-intensive, adding that “this sort of gill-netting operation” would be very expensive.
http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/2007/10/chasse_case_local_media_group.php
Mmmyessss....you mean I'm not really writing about this specific issue, but about the topic in general and its impact on social justice in Portland? Fuck me! I'll make a point, yet!
Why shouldn't you pay to use City resources?
Why is it news that a reporter has to pay to indulge himself in a public records request? The pdf seemed straightforward to me.
I work for the city, it is a technical job not involving policy. I have had to fulfill a public records request in the past. There is a wide range in what can legitimately be charged to someone making these requests. The hourly rate that we get billed at can indeed make these requests very expensive. $700 seems high to me, but not extraordinary.
You may be able to get the documents significantly cheaper ($100-$200) if you can narrow the search. You may be able to view documents on site at no cost, and then request copies of specific documents for much much cheaper. Go through the City Attorney's office if you find resistance in a Bureau.
Great!
Yes, you should pay for someone's time and energy to research the info. You'd pay for document requests in any other government office, court, etc., too.
Yes, Jon. But what if I don't like it? Can I charge THEM for the effort I expend throwing my toys out of the pram?
Fuck, with all the childish whinging you do, I'd hate to see the amount of that invoice, Matt. $772 would seem cheap as hell by comparison.
I'm confused that it would take two full working days for someone to search the PST files. Is that really how long it takes?
Matt,
Will you set up a pay pal, or some kind of donation system already.
Maybe the Merc can match the donations given, and you'll get it in no time...
That way good hearty tax payers can pay for it, they'll just be the ones that choose too.
Or find someone who has been charged with sitting on the grass (or a Criminal Trespass after a park exclusion) and use the criminal court subpoena power to investigate if that person is the victim of an Equal Privileges violation. The criminal defense attorney can subpoena it for free- since the poor dude is getting charged by the city for sitting on the grass.
Hang out at the Westside Community Court to find someone.
hey Matt,
I agree with Israel, set up a paypal account and I will give you any change I pick up on the way to work!
thanks
Patrick
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I like to sit in the grass down at waterfront park. I'm not homeless. If the intent is indeed as you state, it is fucking stupid because us employed folks like to sit in the grass sometimes too!