Interview with Tim Potts
Feb 5th, 2008 by JamieB
Leslie Graves interviewed Tim Potts of Democracy Rising PA as part of her series of interviews with “Sunshine Activists” from around the nation.
Excerpts below. To read the entire interview, visit Leslie’s site.
• Charles Davis of the National Freedom of Information Coalition has talked about having “a FOI moment”. Have you had “a FOI moment” and can you describe it?
In 2004, I learned that both Pennsylvania’s General Assembly and its Supreme Court had exempted their two branches of government from the state’s already awful open records law. We are the only state in the nation where that has occurred. As a result there is literally no way for a citizen to enforce requests for information from the two branches of government. It’s as though they believe Pennsylvania has three governments rather than one government with three branches. That realization was a key factor in my decision to get active in the movement to establish in Pennsylvania the highest standards of public integrity in America.
• What is the worst (or funniest or most obstructionist or most outrageous) reply you’ve ever received?
The PA House of Representatives claims it does not have a database of legislators, staff and the amount of compensation reported to the IRS for 2006. They also remind me that the legislature has exempted itself from our open records law (we’re the only state in America whose legislature and judiciary have exempted themselves); that they may allow us to see some records if we travel to Harrisburg to examine them in their offices; and that if we want copies, they will charge us 50 cents per page for the documents they’re willing to let us have. There are other documents that we may see but may not copy in any way. We have been waiting two months for an appointment to travel to Harrisburg for this purpose.
• How quickly do you generally receive replies to a request?
Occasionally a few days. Usually never.
• About how many open records requests have you filed?
20-25