WRITTEN ON January 24th, 2009 BY William Heath AND STORED IN Foundation of Trust, Power of Information, What do we want?

Yeah. And this too is much closer to ideal:

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release January 21, 2009
January 21, 2009
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT: Freedom of Information Act

A democracy requires accountability, and accountability requires
transparency. As Justice Louis Brandeis wrote, “sunlight is
said to be the best of disinfectants.” In our democracy, the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which encourages
accountability through transparency, is the most prominent
expression of a profound national commitment to ensuring an
open Government. At the heart of that commitment is the idea
that accountability is in the interest of the Government and
the citizenry alike.

The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a
clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails.
The Government should not keep information confidential merely
because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure,
because errors and failures might be revealed, or because
of speculative or abstract fears. Nondisclosure should never
be based on an effort to protect the personal interests of
Government officials at the expense of those they are supposed
to serve. In responding to requests under the FOIA, executive
branch agencies (agencies) should act promptly and in a spirit
of cooperation, recognizing that such agencies are servants of
the public.

All agencies should adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure,
in order to renew their commitment to the principles embodied
in FOIA, and to usher in a new era of open Government. The
presumption of disclosure should be applied to all decisions
involving FOIA.

The presumption of disclosure also means that agencies should
take affirmative steps to make information public. They should
not wait for specific requests from the public. All agencies
should use modern technology to inform citizens about what is
known and done by their Government. Disclosure should be
timely.

I direct the Attorney General to issue new guidelines
governing the FOIA to the heads of executive departments and
agencies, reaffirming the commitment to accountability and
transparency, and to publish such guidelines in the Federal
Register. In doing so, the Attorney General should review FOIA
reports produced by the agencies under Executive Order 13392
of December 14, 2005. I also direct the Director of the Office
of Management and Budget to update guidance to the agencies to
increase and improve information dissemination to the public,
including through the use of new technologies, and to publish
such guidance in the Federal Register.

This memorandum does not create any right or benefit,
substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by
any party against the United States, its departments, agencies,
or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other
person.

The Director of the Office of Management and Budget is hereby
authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the
Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA
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Go Bazzer O’Bazzer!!