More on OPRA
I don’t want to go back and forth with you like Rick E does, but we have no problem with requests for people who want background information on a home they are thinking of purchasing, or for people who want records, the reporters doing investigative articles on a certain thing that’s going on within the state or within the country or within a Township or a student who’s doing research for papers for a college or high school. But we just don’t feel the taxpayers should have to foot the bill for monetary gain of a law firm or a corporation. Believe me, you use the word burden. It’s not a burden to us. It’s part of our job and we enjoy our jobs or we wouldn’t be there. So just wanted to set the record straight on that, we don’t feel it’s a burden we know it’s our job and we love doing our job and OPRA was put in for good reason and it does keep the governments on their toes and it keeps everything aboveboard.
— A municipal employee
I’m glad you explained more on your point, because that makes more sense. I think the problem is that the law doesn’t differentiate by the purpose of the request, so when Hamilton’s almost former mayor made a big deal about how it was a strain, and she used the word burden at points, journalists can’t help but get defensive. Some of those lawyers making requests think they are doing so to help the people involved in crashes (as well as make money of course). Many elected officials think that when journalists make requests it is for nefarious purposes and for our own financial gain (believe me, us journalists make no extra money if a story gets more page views or sells more papers). So my view on OPRA will always be that any and all government information should be as open and public as possible. I really believe that government documents should be in a searchable database, with sensitive information redacted, but I understand how cumbersome of a task it would be to create that system. Maybe some day.
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