Following below is a Press release issued by We The People Of Connecticut Inc.
1
PRESS
RELEASE
–
1/27/12
Hartford, CT— On January 26, 2011, We the People of Connecticut, Inc., utilizing a team of representatives in a coordinated effort, simultaneously filed six formal Freedom of Information requests with six state agencies, including Governor Dannel Malloy’s office, seeking to obtain all documents relevant to the issuance of Governor Malloy’s Executive Orders Nine and Ten.
After waiting approximately four hours at Governor Malloy’s Office, Governor Malloy’s General Counsel, Andrew McDonald provided We the People of Connecticut with a single compact disk containing 44 documents. The documents provided, however, were primarily copies of agendas, minutes, and related materials created by, or presented to, the working group at its open meetings. We, the People of Connecticut, Inc. requested the following:
“We request the inspection and copies of any and all communications in the possession, or under the control or direction of, you and/or your office, wherever and in whatever form they exist – on paper, digital, electronic, or in any other form – to and/or from any public and/or private person and/or entity regarding all matters included in, and/or relating to:
(1) Governor Malloy’s Executive Orders 9 and 10;
(2) Any and all policies, procedures and processes regarding the establishment and implementation of any system of collective bargaining relating to child care workers and/or personal care attendants;
(3) Any and all policies, procedures and processes regarding the establishment and implementation of any election procedures for representatives of child care workers and/or personal care attendants;
(4) The results of any and all election procedures already undertaken regarding child care workers and/or personal care attendants;
(5) Any and all policies, procedures, processes, minutes, notes and all other documents regarding and/or resulting from any and all “meet and confer” sessions or proceedings relating to child care workers and/or personal care attendants;
(6) Any and all policies, procedures, processes, discussions and/or implementation of the possible and/or actual unionization of child care workers and/or personal care attendants;
(7) Conversations, meetings, notes, and any other communication with, any and all SEIU members or representatives, and/or any other union, representative entity, and/or third party, relating to child care workers and/or personal care attendants;
(8) The amount of money spent to date by any and all state agencies or individuals in discussing, planning, relating to and/or implementing Governor Malloy’s Executive Orders 9 and 10; and We the People of Connecticut, Inc.
(9) Communications, in any form, of any kind, to and/or from, any and all state agency or agencies, employee or employees of any and all state agencies, and individual child care workers and/or personal care attendants.
We are also hereby requesting that you immediately provide us with the following information:
(1) the names of all state employees who have worked on issues relating to Executive Orders 9 and 10:
(2) the state agency or agencies for whom they work or worked, the dates they began working on those issues, the dates they stopped working on those issues, whether they are continuing to work on those issues, how many hours per day they worked or are working on those issues, how many total hours they have worked on those issues from the time they began working on them until the date of this letter, and the subject matter of the work they performed or are performing on those issues;
(3) how much money from every state agency has been spent working on issues directly related to Executive Orders 9 and 10 from the first day those agencies began working on those issues until the date of this letter.”
The state’s Freedom of Information Act allows individuals to “inspect” documents of government agencies, with certain limited exceptions, at any time during the regular business hours.
None of the six teams of We the People of Connecticut, Inc. were allowed to inspect any documents requested, despite remaining in the offices of the six agencies for anywhere from four to six hours.
The CD of documents provided by McDonald contained only the following:
1.10 FCC Agenda.pdf
1.10 PCA Agenda.pdf
12.9.2011 FCC Working Group Minutes.doc
12.9.2011 PCA Working Group Minutes.doc
12.21 FCC Minutes.pdf
12.21 PCA Minutes.pdf
12.21 PCA Working Group Minutes.doc
12.21.2011 FCC Working Group Minutes.doc
CGA 19a-77 - Child Day Care Services Defined.doc
Executive Order No. 9.pdf
Executive Order No. 10.pdf
FCC - Maryann Parker testimony 1-10-12 FINAL.pdf
FCC - Maryland 2011 Report to MGA.doc
FCC - Maryland ChildCareProviders - Executive Order.pdf
FCC - Maryland Final SEIU Agreement62911css.pdf
FCC - Maryland HB 465_2010 annual report1.doc
FCC - Maryland hb465.pdf
FCC - Maryland SB 0284 - Collective Bargining.pdf
FCC - Maryland SEIU Memorandum of Agreement.pdf
FCC 1.10 Harry Elliot Presentation.pdf
FCC 1.10 Jennifer Harris Letter.pdf
FCC 1.10 meeting minutes draft.doc
FCC 1.10 Working Group Minutes.pdf
FCC 1.25 Meeting Agenda.pdf
FCC Agenda 12.9.doc
FCC Agenda 12.21.doc
FCC Draft Agenda 1.10.doc
FCC Draft Agenda 1.25.doc
FCC Providers Care4Kids.xls
NAFCC Best Practices for FCC Union Organizing.doc
Oregon HB 3618 Home Care Ammendment.pdf
Oregon Home Care Commission Constitutional Article.doc
Oregon Home Care Commission Legislation ORS 410.600-410.625.doc
Oregon PCA Contract.pdf
PCA - 1.10 Harry Elliot Presentation.pdf
PCA - CA SEIU-UHW 2009-11 AGREEMENT 3-09.pdf
PCA - Walter Kamiat Testimony 011012 (2).docx
PCA - Walter Kamiat Testimony 011012 (2).pdf
PCA 1.10 Draft Minutes.doc
PCA 1.10 Working Group Minutes.pdf
PCA Agenda 12.9.doc
PCA Agenda 12.21.doc
PCA Draft Agenda 1.10.doc
Wash. State SEIU Home Care Contract.pdf
McDonald also provided a letter in response to the requests, acknowledging receipt of the Freedom of Information requests and indicating, “We are in the process of reviewing what documentation may be responsive to your request, and whether or not any exemptions to disclosure may be applicable.” The letter also stated, “We have endeavored to comply with that request to the greatest extent possible, given our other responsibilities, workload, staffing levels and access to certain computers where such information resides”, and “When we complete the balance of our document review, we will respond in the appropriate manner.”
We would note that “endeavoring to comply” is not the same as actual compliance, and “responding in the appropriate manner” is not the same as actually providing non-exempt documents. It is obvious that only a limited number of documents concerning the issuance of Executive Orders 9 and 10 were made public after the FOI requests were received by the Governor’s Office and that only the information surrounding the meetings involving the working groups was released.
We the People of Connecticut, Inc. is certain that there were numerous other conversations, emails and meetings at the State Capitol, in the Governor's Office, and among the various state agencies, related to the issuance of Executive Orders 9 and 10 concerning the Governor's push for child care workers and personal care attendants to unionize. The people of Connecticut have a right to see every kind of information under the law concerning the background of the issuance of these orders, and they must be put in full view of our citizens when FOI requests are issued.
We the People of Connecticut, Inc. sincerely hopes that the Governor’s Office and the other state agencies fully comply with the law, allow for inspection during regular business hours of all non-exempt materials whenever a citizen makes such a request.
Although our request for inspection was met with total non-compliance by all six agencies, it is our sincere hope that the Governor’s promised response to our request will be swift, complete, and in full compliance with the law.
We the People of Connecticut will continue to work for the citizens of Connecticut in this matter, and in defense of the Constitution whenever, and however, necessary.
For further information contact:
Attorney Deborah G. Stevenson, Chief Counsel, (860) 354-3590, (203) 206-4282 (cell), email:
dgs31@yahoo.com.
PRESS RELEASE 1-27-12.pdf (288KB)
1
PRESS
RELEASE
–
1/27/12
Hartford, CT— On January 26, 2011, We the People of Connecticut, Inc., utilizing a team of representatives in a coordinated effort, simultaneously filed six formal Freedom of Information requests with six state agencies, including Governor Dannel Malloy’s office, seeking to obtain all documents relevant to the issuance of Governor Malloy’s Executive Orders Nine and Ten.
After waiting approximately four hours at Governor Malloy’s Office, Governor Malloy’s General Counsel, Andrew McDonald provided We the People of Connecticut with a single compact disk containing 44 documents. The documents provided, however, were primarily copies of agendas, minutes, and related materials created by, or presented to, the working group at its open meetings. We, the People of Connecticut, Inc. requested the following:
“We request the inspection and copies of any and all communications in the possession, or under the control or direction of, you and/or your office, wherever and in whatever form they exist – on paper, digital, electronic, or in any other form – to and/or from any public and/or private person and/or entity regarding all matters included in, and/or relating to:
(1) Governor Malloy’s Executive Orders 9 and 10;
(2) Any and all policies, procedures and processes regarding the establishment and implementation of any system of collective bargaining relating to child care workers and/or personal care attendants;
(3) Any and all policies, procedures and processes regarding the establishment and implementation of any election procedures for representatives of child care workers and/or personal care attendants;
(4) The results of any and all election procedures already undertaken regarding child care workers and/or personal care attendants;
(5) Any and all policies, procedures, processes, minutes, notes and all other documents regarding and/or resulting from any and all “meet and confer” sessions or proceedings relating to child care workers and/or personal care attendants;
(6) Any and all policies, procedures, processes, discussions and/or implementation of the possible and/or actual unionization of child care workers and/or personal care attendants;
(7) Conversations, meetings, notes, and any other communication with, any and all SEIU members or representatives, and/or any other union, representative entity, and/or third party, relating to child care workers and/or personal care attendants;
(8) The amount of money spent to date by any and all state agencies or individuals in discussing, planning, relating to and/or implementing Governor Malloy’s Executive Orders 9 and 10; and We the People of Connecticut, Inc.
(9) Communications, in any form, of any kind, to and/or from, any and all state agency or agencies, employee or employees of any and all state agencies, and individual child care workers and/or personal care attendants.
We are also hereby requesting that you immediately provide us with the following information:
(1) the names of all state employees who have worked on issues relating to Executive Orders 9 and 10:
(2) the state agency or agencies for whom they work or worked, the dates they began working on those issues, the dates they stopped working on those issues, whether they are continuing to work on those issues, how many hours per day they worked or are working on those issues, how many total hours they have worked on those issues from the time they began working on them until the date of this letter, and the subject matter of the work they performed or are performing on those issues;
(3) how much money from every state agency has been spent working on issues directly related to Executive Orders 9 and 10 from the first day those agencies began working on those issues until the date of this letter.”
The state’s Freedom of Information Act allows individuals to “inspect” documents of government agencies, with certain limited exceptions, at any time during the regular business hours.
None of the six teams of We the People of Connecticut, Inc. were allowed to inspect any documents requested, despite remaining in the offices of the six agencies for anywhere from four to six hours.
The CD of documents provided by McDonald contained only the following:
1.10 FCC Agenda.pdf
1.10 PCA Agenda.pdf
12.9.2011 FCC Working Group Minutes.doc
12.9.2011 PCA Working Group Minutes.doc
12.21 FCC Minutes.pdf
12.21 PCA Minutes.pdf
12.21 PCA Working Group Minutes.doc
12.21.2011 FCC Working Group Minutes.doc
CGA 19a-77 - Child Day Care Services Defined.doc
Executive Order No. 9.pdf
Executive Order No. 10.pdf
FCC - Maryann Parker testimony 1-10-12 FINAL.pdf
FCC - Maryland 2011 Report to MGA.doc
FCC - Maryland ChildCareProviders - Executive Order.pdf
FCC - Maryland Final SEIU Agreement62911css.pdf
FCC - Maryland HB 465_2010 annual report1.doc
FCC - Maryland hb465.pdf
FCC - Maryland SB 0284 - Collective Bargining.pdf
FCC - Maryland SEIU Memorandum of Agreement.pdf
FCC 1.10 Harry Elliot Presentation.pdf
FCC 1.10 Jennifer Harris Letter.pdf
FCC 1.10 meeting minutes draft.doc
FCC 1.10 Working Group Minutes.pdf
FCC 1.25 Meeting Agenda.pdf
FCC Agenda 12.9.doc
FCC Agenda 12.21.doc
FCC Draft Agenda 1.10.doc
FCC Draft Agenda 1.25.doc
FCC Providers Care4Kids.xls
NAFCC Best Practices for FCC Union Organizing.doc
Oregon HB 3618 Home Care Ammendment.pdf
Oregon Home Care Commission Constitutional Article.doc
Oregon Home Care Commission Legislation ORS 410.600-410.625.doc
Oregon PCA Contract.pdf
PCA - 1.10 Harry Elliot Presentation.pdf
PCA - CA SEIU-UHW 2009-11 AGREEMENT 3-09.pdf
PCA - Walter Kamiat Testimony 011012 (2).docx
PCA - Walter Kamiat Testimony 011012 (2).pdf
PCA 1.10 Draft Minutes.doc
PCA 1.10 Working Group Minutes.pdf
PCA Agenda 12.9.doc
PCA Agenda 12.21.doc
PCA Draft Agenda 1.10.doc
Wash. State SEIU Home Care Contract.pdf
McDonald also provided a letter in response to the requests, acknowledging receipt of the Freedom of Information requests and indicating, “We are in the process of reviewing what documentation may be responsive to your request, and whether or not any exemptions to disclosure may be applicable.” The letter also stated, “We have endeavored to comply with that request to the greatest extent possible, given our other responsibilities, workload, staffing levels and access to certain computers where such information resides”, and “When we complete the balance of our document review, we will respond in the appropriate manner.”
We would note that “endeavoring to comply” is not the same as actual compliance, and “responding in the appropriate manner” is not the same as actually providing non-exempt documents. It is obvious that only a limited number of documents concerning the issuance of Executive Orders 9 and 10 were made public after the FOI requests were received by the Governor’s Office and that only the information surrounding the meetings involving the working groups was released.
We the People of Connecticut, Inc. is certain that there were numerous other conversations, emails and meetings at the State Capitol, in the Governor's Office, and among the various state agencies, related to the issuance of Executive Orders 9 and 10 concerning the Governor's push for child care workers and personal care attendants to unionize. The people of Connecticut have a right to see every kind of information under the law concerning the background of the issuance of these orders, and they must be put in full view of our citizens when FOI requests are issued.
We the People of Connecticut, Inc. sincerely hopes that the Governor’s Office and the other state agencies fully comply with the law, allow for inspection during regular business hours of all non-exempt materials whenever a citizen makes such a request.
Although our request for inspection was met with total non-compliance by all six agencies, it is our sincere hope that the Governor’s promised response to our request will be swift, complete, and in full compliance with the law.
We the People of Connecticut will continue to work for the citizens of Connecticut in this matter, and in defense of the Constitution whenever, and however, necessary.
For further information contact:
Attorney Deborah G. Stevenson, Chief Counsel, (860) 354-3590, (203) 206-4282 (cell), email:
dgs31@yahoo.com.
PRESS RELEASE 1-27-12.pdf (288KB)
Comments
State agencies in Connecticut are required by statute to allow the public to VIEW public documents on request. The response from Governor Dannel Malloy’s attorney suggests he is willing to accommodate the FOI request for relevant COPIES of specified documents within a reasonable period of time, though he has not yet done so. He has given no indication that he would not accommodate the request. The FOI commission itself is being folded into a new administrative super-agency, and that proposal has met some resistance on the part of people who believe the commission would lose its independence if it were not a stand-alone agency free of interference from the executive department.