I asked for the cell phone bills of all employees that have a district phone. she wants me to pay $50.00 dollars. Why does she want me to pay for it?


"Dear Mr. Moniz:

This e-mail serves as the response to your request for information received November 28, 2012, and clarified December 4, 2012, pursuant to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA).
The cost of the search for requested records is $50 (1 hour @$50 per hour for IT search). Va. Code 2.2-3704 (F) allows Fairfax County Public Schools to charge for such expenses. Please remit a check made out to Fairfax County Public Schools in care of this office."

Best regards,


Brandynn Reaves
Public Information Specialist
Dept of Communications & Community Outreach
Fairfax County Public Schools
T +1 571-423-1200 | F +1 571-423-121

She probably just wants you to stop bothering her.

That's very common with FOIA requests, many Federal agencies charge for the service. Just because you can have access to the information doesn't mean that the records are just sitting there. Somebody has to find the records, make copies and send them to you.

not just FCPS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That's very common with FOIA requests, many
> Federal agencies charge for the service. Just
> because you can have access to the information
> doesn't mean that the records are just sitting
> there. Somebody has to find the records, make
> copies and send them to you.


Just Wondering what else does that lady that work for FIOa do? Just Wondering

Al. Stop wasting your energy being upset about cell phone bills. You're a creating more work with all of these requests that do nothing but make you think you're going to affect the way a society spends money. If you insist on channeling this much energy into being pissed off about something, run for office and change it. Otherwise, be concerned about your own situation as you obviously have way too much free time. Counteract this spending by raising funds and donating them if you're that concerned. You're the type of person that ruins someone else's day to make yourself feel significant.

And if our money is being spent so recklessly, why should we spend tax money researching your request? Seems like they've taken your comments to heart and refuse to use everyone else's money to run on your wild goose chase.

Just what do you exspect to get form the bill? With cell phone bills now, you pay a flat fee. You are going to get a bill saying how many cell phones they have. You may even get the numbers. So what is the reason for this request?

You time would be better served asking for their emails.

That might be fifty bucks well spent. Imagine some of the calls made by lazy county workers when they are supposed to be on the clock. Governments hate FOIA. It holds them accountable.

I was contracted to the govt for awhile. Some of the stuff they sent on emails was not to be believed. Every week they were pounding it into their heads that emails sent on govt computers were not private. They were always getting jammed up when the software installed on the system targeted certain words or websites.

GFR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just what do you exspect to get form the bill?
> With cell phone bills now, you pay a flat fee. You
> are going to get a bill saying how many cell
> phones they have. You may even get the numbers. So
> what is the reason for this request?
>
> You time would be better served asking for their
> emails.

What would he gain? More ammunition to pester people with yet no proposed solution. Take their phones away? Realism, Mr. Moniz. It's 2012 and cell phones are required to conduct daily tasks. Find a meaningful cause like hunger AND USE YOUR TIME TO DO SOMETHING POSITIVE

Its his money if he wants to spend it that way. If he gets the acutal numbers being called and the times, which I am sure he can, it might prove interesting.

I would say he would have more fun asking for emails sent around the county. Not the stuffy look at me what I have accomplished types but the person to person ones. I am telling you govt workers are beyond stupid when it comes to what they put in emails. Its 2012 and you would think they have learned but no they havent.

captain crunch time Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Its his money if he wants to spend it that way. If
> he gets the acutal numbers being called and the
> times, which I am sure he can, it might prove
> interesting.


Exactly the point being made here. If he's willing to foot the bill, by all means, see what calls people are making. But here's Al, complaining about the way our County spends money while asking them to do an unnecessary task at the taxpayer's expense. He's a hypocrite in the most direct sense of the word.

That may be but from what I have seen at Gatehouse they dont have much work to do anyway.

Unrelated but along the same lines, this happened in Manassas and I am sure the cops involved never thought FOIA would ding them.

http://www.vcdl.org/Tonys/mcpd.html

foia can hurt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Unrelated but along the same lines, this happened
> in Manassas and I am sure the cops involved never
> thought FOIA would ding them.
>
> http://www.vcdl.org/Tonys/mcpd.html

Yeah I remembered that incident in the local news years ago. The Police were called for a group of people open carrying handguns in a pizza joint. The Manasshole Po-lice showed up, dealt with them and left. Problem was after they left, they [Police] were sending instant messages to each other via their mobile police terminals about what a bunch of attention seeking, losers the open carry group seemed to be. Bunch of cops got in trouble for the lapse of judgement. That conversation about the Viet Cong DL should had been reserved for a conversation AFTER the shift was over.

FOIA specifically notes that the requestor needs to pay for the manhours needed for any requested record searches that are not readily available.

Al Moniz. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I asked for the cell phone bills of all employees
> that have a district phone. she wants me to pay
> $50.00 dollars. Why does she want me to pay for
> it?
>
>
> "Dear Mr. Moniz:
>
> This e-mail serves as the response to your request
> for information received November 28, 2012, and
> clarified December 4, 2012, pursuant to the
> Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA).
> The cost of the search for requested records is
> $50 (1 hour @$50 per hour for IT search). Va.
> Code 2.2-3704 (F) allows Fairfax County Public
> Schools to charge for such expenses. Please remit
> a check made out to Fairfax County Public Schools
> in care of this office."
>
> Best regards,
>
>
> Brandynn Reaves
> Public Information Specialist
> Dept of Communications & Community Outreach
> Fairfax County Public Schools
> T +1 571-423-1200 | F +1 571-423-121