Open government

Governments are certainly permitted to charge a reasonable fee to provide information requested of them. But a $111,930 fee is outlandish.

Yet that is what the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services wants to charge the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University to comply with its Freedom of Information Act request. News of the absurd demand earlier this month surfaced during Sunshine Week, which is held annually to highlight the importance of openness in government.

The Clearinghouse asked the federal agency to disclose what kind of information is contained in a particular database. The group did not ask for specific information in the database that tracks applications and adjudications for naturalization by the agency.

"We just asked for the plan," TRAC co-director David Burnham said.

For that bit of information, Citizenship and Immigration Services wants $130 an hour for an estimated 861 hours of work with an upfront deposit of $55,965, or half the bill. The federal agency also warned TRAC that the bill could rise even more. Ridiculous.

It's a database. Certainly someone on the vast staff of the immigration agency could provide the information that database users already know. TRAC officials have appealed the request. Hopefully, better judgment will prevail within the federal agency.

Closer to home, local governments often try to shut the public out as well, as in the Massena Central School District most recently. The board of education's Finance Committee wants to close its budget talks to the public, contrary to the state Open Meetings Law, to discuss cutting positions.

Given the difficult financial times facing school districts and all levels of government, districts should welcome parents and staff to understand the decisions they face.

Putting obstacles in the way of the public rather than embracing openness and transparency makes it difficult for them to become better informed and more knowledgeable about the workings of their government.