In its fourth year, The Foilies recognizes the worst responses to records requests, outrageous efforts to stymie transparency and the most absurd redactions.
transparency
BROKEN RECORDS: MONKEY WRENCHING
A rare win on the public records front in Mass
DEAR READER: HAPPY SUNSHINE WEEK
There’s a reason that, even as a little paper, we pay such close attention to the public records law and to the flow of information between government entities and private citizens.
SUNSHINE WEEK SPECIAL: THE FOILIES 2017
Think of it as the Golden Raspberries but for government transparency, where the bad actors are actually going off script to deny the public the right to understand what business is being conducted on their behalf.
BROKEN RECORDS: KAFKACHUSETTS
Mass AG shows just how useless public info laws are, but change is possible
TALK TO THE HAND (BECAUSE BILL GALVIN AIN’T LISTENIN’)
Secretary holds sham hearing on records access
BROKEN RECORDS: REFER MADNESS
Top Dems make a show of pretending they might enforce the public records law
BROKEN RECORDS: WHAT THE FOIA?!
Who do you call when the cops rip you off?
SPECIAL SUNSHINE WEEK FEATURE: THE FOILES 2016
Some Government Agencies Are So Bad at Handling Public Records Requests, They Deserve an Award
FOIA-BLES: CRITICAL MASS RECORDS REFORM BILL TAKES TWO STEPS FORWARD AND ONE STEP BACK
If the best parts of the Senate bill survive and the worst provisions in the House bill are scrapped, then the Massachusetts public records law might become a little bit less broken.