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Florida state government and its public officials can be efficient when they want to do something
On Aug 27 I received a reply to my general email inquiry about the Open Government Mediation Program from JoAnn Carin, the Director of Open Government, EOG. Director Carin wrote that the issues I described are appropriate for the OAG’s Open Government Mediation Program. Ms. Carin sent copies to Jessica Dodson, EOG, and Jordan Chapman, EOG.
On Aug 28, I emailed Assistant Attorney General Joslyn Wilson requesting Open Mediation regarding the SAO’s inadequate response to my Public Records Request for my closed file.
On Aug 28, AAG Wilson contacted Assistant State Attorney William Lewis requesting that he notify her by Sept 5 if the SAO wished to participate in this voluntary program.
On Aug 29, in the interest of government transparency and accountability, I emailed Attorney General Bill McCollum requesting the OAG’s Open Government Mediation Program.
On Aug 30, I mailed a certified letter to AG McCollum requesting Open Government Mediation regarding the SAO’s inadequate records response to my Public Records Request.
On Aug 31, the USPS verified receipt of my letter by the OAG.
On Aug 31, I received a copy of AAG Wilson’s letter to Assistant State Attorney Lewis, 14 Judicial District SAO.
By Sept 5 Assistant State Attorney Lewis, 14th Judicial District SAO, was supposed to notify Assistant Attorney General Wilson if he wished to participate in what Open Government Director JoAnn Carin described as appropriate for the OAG's Open Government Mediation Program. He didn't wish to participate. The State Attorneys don't report to the Attorney General, but the Attorney General provides leadership.
On Sept 6, Attorney General Bill McCollum was the keynote speaker at the Bonifay Republican’s “bi-annual” Reagan Day Dinner.
On Sept 7, I read in the local weekly paper’s Sept 5 edition that AG McCollum was to be the keynote speaker at the “bi-annual” Bonifay Republican Day Dinner. US Rep Jeff Miller and State Rep Don Brown were expected to attend.
On Sept 8, I emailed AG McCollum expressing my regrets that I did not get a chance to discuss an on-going issue with him while he was in Bonifay for the Reagan Day Dinner. I also mailed a hard copy.
On Sept 8, WRJMFM deleted all the posts in their Forum due to a “spamming surge,” which consisted of 200 spams (Well, at least one surge is working). Although I only began posting to this Dothan, AL, messageboard recently and had less than 10 posts to it, the thread that I started was the most popular. My posts to this website also pissed The Local Powers That Be off, probably because of my references to the rural electric co-op- a sacred cow with a lot of political clout.
On Sept 10, I faxed a copy of my Sept 8 letter to AG McCollum.
On Sept 12, a Leslie Jacobs who said that she was with the OAG and calling about a fax that a Joe Keegan sent to AG McCollum left a message at 7:39 am on the answering machine. Leslie left a phone number to call. She wanted to know what the issue was that I wanted to discuss with McCollum. Apparently they didn't know.
I checked Florida’s website 411 employee directory, which listed a Leslie H. Jacobs with the Gov’s Office but at a different number than the one she left.
On Sept 14 around 7:30 am, I returned Ms. Jacobs' call. I got an answering machine that indicated the line belonged to Jacobs/McCollum. I left a message that the issue involved my request for open mediation with the SAO.
On Sept 14, I received a letter, dated Sept 12, from AAG Joslyn Wilson that she closed my mediation case file because Assistant State Attorney Lewis hadn’t replied to her. The program is voluntary, which seems to defeat its purpose. FL state government can be efficient when it wants.
On Sept 16, I picked up a free newspaper, ADVERTYZ-IT, dated Sept 12, which devoted most of the front page and one-half of another page to AG McCollum’s speech at the annual Reagan Day Dinner. US Rep Jeff Miller didn’t make it, but State Rep Don Brown and Alabama State Senator Harri Anne Smith (Slocomb, AL, which is outside Dothan) did attend.
