This isn't a cause that garners public sympathy. Unfortunately livestock, especially pigs, don't get people's interest like other animal abuse stories.
This isn't a cause that garners public sympathy. Unfortunately livestock, especially pigs, don't get people's interest like other animal abuse stories.
Agreed-- a processing fee would be normal but this is so high (and prohibitive as you say)....it's not reasonable. I'm assuming the info you want is digital-- not like they're heading the back room to mimeograph copies of original documents from the 1800s. If the info is for all eyes, there's no excuse for making it difficult to access. Ugh.
I asked about limiting the CVI search to one species of animal for a 2 day period...$80. How is that not a simple keyword search in. Spread sheet? It's so ridiculous. I KNOW Ayrshire Farm did not get CVI for any animals transported to or from their farm so I'd be paying to prove no evidence exists.
Ayrshire and $200,000,000 Sandy Lerner for the win.
Information should not be cost prohibitive. It should be available for the public in a "no edit" available locked format. Let me search it!
VDACS’s Office of Laboratory Services (OLS) holds laboratory submission records. OLS estimates that the charge for the staff time to access and supply the records that are responsive to your request will be approximately $200.
VDACS’s Office of Veterinary Services (OVS) holds Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) for certain animals imported into or exported from Virginia from 2010 to the present. OVS will have to search all CVIs to determine whether it has any that reference Ayrshire Farm. The agency estimates that the charge for the staff time to search through the CVIs will be approximately $800.
The charge for the OVS staff time to search the CVI records for swine for September 7 and 8, 2013, will be approximately $80, as staff will have to search the entire month
...how many hours and what are these people getting paid per hour?
Data from 2013 should be in a readily searchable spreadsheet format. Narrowing down 2 day's for one species literally should take a few minutes tops.
Can you contact a state representative about this? The costs attached to this are insane. Taxes pay these salaries and the cost to you should be damn miminal (I'm talking like a charge per sheet to print or photocopy) .
Nothing hit on muckraker but awesome suggestion. Look at the above example...it took over a year of monthly emails to get it filled!
This one reminded me I need to research the law in VA about releasing info on closed investigations. In a meeting with Nina Stively, the new Director of Animal Services, she said they would release the information, per a FOIA request.
Now that the FOIA request has been made she refuses.
old fart has left a new comment on your post "Work Cancelled":
Meredith, I believe this is a state of Virginia FOIA, not a federal FOIA. You can get a fee waiver on a federal FOIA. Different law completely. I got a fee waiver on a federal FOIA. Don’t know about fee waiver in a state of Virginia FOIA. I don’t live there. But you may find the answer at one these links.
Chapter 37 of Title 2.2 The Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Effective July 1, 2015) http://foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov/2015law.pdf
You may want to contact the Virginal Freedom of Information Act Advisory Counsel
http://foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov/
General Assembly Building, 2nd Floor 201 North 9th Street Richmond, VA 23219 E-Mail: foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov
More Virginia links
Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) http://www.vita.virginia.gov/about/default.aspx?id=311
2012-2013 Virginia Freedom of Information Act http://www.opengovva.org/foia/current-law
Virginia FOIA Laws http://www.nfoic.org/virginia-foia-laws
Virginia Freedom of Information Act http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/opa/foia.htm
You could also try MuckRock https://www.muckrock.com/
MuckRock Twitter https://twitter.com/MuckRock
MuckRock Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MuckRock
MuckRock is a United States-based organization which assists anyone in filing governmental requests for information through the Freedom of Information Act, then publishes the returned information on its website and encourages journalism around it...
Bottom line Meredith, don’t sweat it. When I get stressed, I simply enjoy a nice bowl of chilled broccoli and cheese soup in my Pfaltzgraff "Juniper" pattern dinnerware.
If you want information on the federal FOIA, and how I got a fee waiver, let me know.
old fart http://foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov/
Posted by old fart to Meredith et al. at December 7, 2015 at 10:57 PM
Maybe you could create a crisis video and beg for money
ReplyDeleteThis isn't a cause that garners public sympathy. Unfortunately livestock, especially pigs, don't get people's interest like other animal abuse stories.
DeleteI'm on my own with this one.
This isn't a cause that garners public sympathy. Unfortunately livestock, especially pigs, don't get people's interest like other animal abuse stories.
DeleteI'm on my own with this one.
She has already done that in multiple places. She begs, but because it is her begging, it is ok and justified in her eyes.
ReplyDeleteBegging = personal gain
DeleteFundraising = raising money for a cause.
Your logic is painful.
It was meant for Meredith as sarcasm. She needs money for her fda request
ReplyDeleteI got the sarcasm ;)
DeleteWow-- who'd have thought? I'm wondering what they base that fee on. FOIA -- information is not really free after all.
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly not FREEdom of information act!
DeleteWhat's the point if accessing the information is cost prohibitive.
This is exactly why the wealthy Sandy Lerners are able to get away with what they do. Uncovering (in writing) evidence is expensive.
Agreed-- a processing fee would be normal but this is so high (and prohibitive as you say)....it's not reasonable. I'm assuming the info you want is digital-- not like they're heading the back room to mimeograph copies of original documents from the 1800s. If the info is for all eyes, there's no excuse for making it difficult to access. Ugh.
DeleteThat's for only 2 minor components!
DeleteI asked about limiting the CVI search to one species of animal for a 2 day period...$80. How is that not a simple keyword search in. Spread sheet? It's so ridiculous. I KNOW Ayrshire Farm did not get CVI for any animals transported to or from their farm so I'd be paying to prove no evidence exists.
Ayrshire and $200,000,000 Sandy Lerner for the win.
Information should not be cost prohibitive. It should be available for the public in a "no edit" available locked format. Let me search it!
VDACS’s Office of Laboratory Services (OLS) holds laboratory submission records. OLS estimates that the charge for the staff time to access and supply the records that are responsive to your request will be approximately $200.
VDACS’s Office of Veterinary Services (OVS) holds Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) for certain animals imported into or exported from Virginia from 2010 to the present. OVS will have to search all CVIs to determine whether it has any that reference Ayrshire Farm. The agency estimates that the charge for the staff time to search through the CVIs will be approximately $800.
The charge for the OVS staff time to search the CVI records for swine for September 7 and 8, 2013, will be approximately $80, as staff will have to search the entire month
Delete...how many hours and what are these people getting paid per hour?
Data from 2013 should be in a readily searchable spreadsheet format. Narrowing down 2 day's for one species literally should take a few minutes tops.
This is PUBLIC RECORD.
The deposit excluding CVI and OLS records is $250.
DeleteNo can do.
Can you contact a state representative about this? The costs attached to this are insane. Taxes pay these salaries and the cost to you should be damn miminal (I'm talking like a charge per sheet to print or photocopy) .
ReplyDeleteIt would likely end up in no one emailing back or responding.
DeleteInsane. A FOIA request of a state department for one farm should not total thousands when no information may even be found.
https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-america-10/request-for-april-24-bradley-manning-decision-1646/
ReplyDeleteNothing hit on muckraker but awesome suggestion. Look at the above example...it took over a year of monthly emails to get it filled!
This one reminded me I need to research the law in VA about releasing info on closed investigations. In a meeting with Nina Stively, the new Director of Animal Services, she said they would release the information, per a FOIA request.
Now that the FOIA request has been made she refuses.
old fart has left a new comment on your post "Work Cancelled":
ReplyDeleteMeredith, I believe this is a state of Virginia FOIA, not a federal FOIA. You can get a fee waiver on a federal FOIA. Different law completely. I got a fee waiver on a federal FOIA. Don’t know about fee waiver in a state of Virginia FOIA. I don’t live there. But you may find the answer at one these links.
Chapter 37 of Title 2.2
The Virginia Freedom of Information Act
(Effective July 1, 2015)
http://foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov/2015law.pdf
You may want to contact the Virginal Freedom of Information Act Advisory Counsel
http://foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov/
General Assembly Building, 2nd Floor
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, VA 23219
E-Mail: foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov
More Virginia links
Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
http://www.vita.virginia.gov/about/default.aspx?id=311
2012-2013 Virginia Freedom of Information Act
http://www.opengovva.org/foia/current-law
Virginia FOIA Laws
http://www.nfoic.org/virginia-foia-laws
Virginia Freedom of Information Act
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/opa/foia.htm
You could also try MuckRock
https://www.muckrock.com/
MuckRock Twitter
https://twitter.com/MuckRock
MuckRock Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MuckRock
MuckRock is a United States-based organization which assists anyone in filing governmental requests for information through the Freedom of Information Act, then publishes the returned information on its website and encourages journalism around it...
Bottom line Meredith, don’t sweat it. When I get stressed, I simply enjoy a nice bowl of chilled broccoli and cheese soup in my Pfaltzgraff "Juniper" pattern dinnerware.
If you want information on the federal FOIA, and how I got a fee waiver, let me know.
old fart
http://foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov/
Posted by old fart to Meredith et al. at December 7, 2015 at 10:57 PM
Always sound advice, except for the emotional eating. That's why I'm now 165 instead of 135. I put that and more on after Ayrshire. :(
DeleteI did email an investigative journalist with nbc who was doing the story and FOIAed from VDACS earlier this year to get copies of what she received.
I had no idea about waiver. Might need to look in to that for the USDA.
What agency did you FOIA?
Email if you don't want to discuss publically.