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Health & Fitness

What 18 questions need answered by our Ohio State legislators?

Can we request a public official to post a public record on their public website?

On Feb. 24, 2013, an article posted in our Falls News Press told us about the request for public records. Β 
In my opinion, the following 18 questions are triggered:
1. Can any of us request and get access to records created by our elected or appointed public officials?
2. Who pays for the work of our officials to create and distribute a public record?
3. Can our officials change the law to limit access to us -- when they want to do so?
4. What role does our news media play to support the request or denial of a public record?
5. Is a digital public record hard for an official to post on a website?
6. Is an email the best way to request a public record?Β 
7. If each offical personally updated his webpage then can the distribution time of a public record be minimized?
8. What recourse do we have if an official does not honor the request to post a record on the public webpage?
9. How much time is required for a public offical to post to a public web page?
10. Are the laws the same at the city, village, library, county, and state level?
11. Can the request for public records apply to time, costs, and quality of public service?
12. Is the public news media really a privileged exception to the request for public records?Β 
13. How can the request for a public record be handled in a cost effective and efficient manner?
14. Can a collection of webpages for our officials be formatted in a similar manner for all of our public offices?Β 
15. What short-term legislation can align with long-term legislation to grow satisfaction for all of us?
16. Can we measure if an offical is honest, open and responsible based on the notation of who updates a webpage and when?
17. If a public official uses external tools, like Google, then does that help or harm the intent of the legislation?
18. Can a senior legislator, who is Internet illiterate, make an informed choice on this legislation?
Ref: Β mkovac@dixcom.comΒ Β Feb. 24, 2013

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