----- Original Message -----
From: joe harcz Comcast
To: LARAFOIAInfo
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2016 10:11 AM
Subject: Re: FOIA Response No.: 2016-00877 Harcz
In the interest of transparency related to the Flint water crisis and in the
interest of not discriminating against people with disabilities why don't you
include the requested information on the Governor's web site along with other
LARA disclosures including those made last week at:
http://www.michigan.gov/snyder/0,4668,7-277-57577_57657-376716--,00.html
Or is it your intent to continue lying and to gouge whistleblowers who are
blind?
Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.
----- Original Message -----
From: LARAFOIAInfo
To: joe harcz Comcast
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2016 9:37 AM
Subject: FOIA Response No.: 2016-00877 Harcz
Dear Mr. Harcz:
The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) has
received your request for public records and has processed it under the
provisions of the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 1976 PA 442, MCL
15.231 et seq.
Your request has been granted. Please pay the amount of $167.40. Once
payment is received, LARA will notify you in writing that records are
available, the basis for any statutory exemptions, your remedial rights, if
applicable, and any costs.
Please pay the amount due by sending a check or money order, payable to the
State of Michigan, to Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs,
P.O. Box 30004, Lansing, MI 48909. You need to provide the FOIA request number
on your check or money order. To ensure proper credit, please enclose a copy
of the invoice included with this correspondence.
If you have questions concerning this matter, please feel free to contact the
LARA FOIA Office at LARAFOIAInfo@xxxxxxxxxxxx.
To review a copy of LARA's written public summary, procedures, and
guidelines, go to www.michigan.gov/lara.
The FOIA provides that if a public body denies any portion of your FOIA, or
charges a fee that exceeds the amount permitted under its publicly available
procedures and guidelines, you may submit a written appeal to Director,
Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, P.O. Box 30004, Lansing, MI
48909. Your FOIA appeal must specifically state the word "appeal" and identify
the reason(s) the fee or disclosure denial(s) should be reversed. You may also
seek judicial review in an appropriate Michigan court within 45 days after a
fee charge, or within 180 days after a denial notice. If you prevail in a court
action regarding a fee charged or a disclosure denial, the court may award you
reasonable attorney fees and punitive damages.
Sincerely,
LARA FOIA Office
sf
From: joe harcz Comcast [mailto:joeharcz@xxxxxxxxxxx] ;
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2016 1:47 PM
To: LARAFOIAInfo <LARAFOIAInfo@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: flint office bldg crisis and blind information resources - FOIA
Request
April 6 2016 FOIA Request Phone Logs on use of BTBBKL Flint Water Crisis
Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.
1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.
Mt. Morris, MI 48458
joeharcz@xxxxxxxxxxx
Re: Carla Miller Haynes FOIA Response today
To:
Michael Zimmer, LARA, DSA
Ed Rodgers, Michigan Bureau Services for Blind Persons
Lt. Governor, Brian Calley
(Via e-mail)
Sirs,
I point your attention to the following quote today from a ludicrous response
from Carla Miller Haynes FOIA BSBP:
"". BSBP, utilizing the Genesee County District Library patron list,
attempted to contact the 117 patrons who are classified as "blind".
Incidentally,
all of those individuals who were reached (88) indicated they were aware of
the Flint Water Crisis. The remaining 29 Genesee County District Library patrons
had either moved or were deceased.""
Now I am formally requesting any documents including redacted phone call list
by BSBP personell related to the assertion that these clients were indeed
contacted and when they were contacted. It appears to me and from other FOIA
releases that this is simply an assertion and made only after I wrote and asked
why the BTBL wasn't used.
Moreover, my original requests were for what services and detailed
information about how to get them (ie filters, water deliveries, etc.) were
being done to all blind folks in this county, not just being made aware of the
Flint Water crisis as the ludicrous response above denotes.
At best and based upon other FOIA a mere handful of blind persons in this
county have been contacted by BSBP and all they did with those contacts, again
was to refer people to call 211!
I've talked to people I know and not a one of them have been contacted by any
medium affirmatively in these regards.
Again this is a request for information related to support just who, what,
when, why, where and how people who are blind in this county were even
contacted including those clients of the BTBL!
I never once as implied asked for that database but rather I inquired several
times in March as to why BSBP did not use it!
Bottom line here is blind and otherwise disabled folks have been left in the
lurch by this agency and the disaster is happening now and has been so.
Yet, all I get is more spin and more ludicrous assertions.
Sincerely,
Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.
Citizen who is Blind, of Genesee County
Cc: several
----- Original Message -----
From: LARAFOIAInfo
To: joeharcz@xxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: BSBPFOIA
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 8:58 AM
Subject: RE: flint office bldg crisis and blind information resources -
FOIA Request
Dear Mr. Harcz:
This notice responds to your February 8, 2016 and February 9, 2016 emails
(copies attached), received by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory
Affairs (LARA) on February 9, 2016 and February 10, 2016, respectively,
requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231
et seq.
You have asked for numerous documents related to the Bureau of Services for
Blind Persons and the Flint water matter.
Your request is granted in part and denied in part. Records responsive to
your request are attached. Section 13(1)(d) of the FOIA provides that
information specifically described exempt from disclosure by another agency
statute is exempt from disclosure; therefore, portions of your request have
been denied. (MCL 15.243(1)(d)) Consumer information contained in the documents
has been redacted per the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 34 CFR 361.68.
Information related to the Flint water matter is available on our website
at www.michigan.gov/bsbp. Please see the link entitled "Outreach to Flint's
Blind Community Helps Ensure Access to Information and Resources" is under the
"Spotlight".
Section 10 of the FOIA, MCL 15.240, provides that you may seek judicial
review in the Court of Claims within 180 days after the final denial
determination. If you prevail in such an action, the court is to award
reasonable attorney fees, costs, and disbursements, and possible damages.
If you have questions concerning this matter, please feel free to contact
the LARA FOIA Office at LARAFOIAInfo@xxxxxxxxxxxx. You may also write to us at
the address listed below and enclose a copy of this letter.
LARA's FOIA Procedures and Guidelines can be accessed at
www.michigan.gov/lara.
Thank you,
LARA FOIA Office
sf
