Computer underground Digest Thu Feb 9, 1995 Volume 7 : Issue 11
ISSN 1004-042X
Editors: Jim Thomas and Gordon Meyer (TK0JUT2@NIU.BITNET)
Archivist: Brendan Kehoe
Retiring Shadow Archivist: Stanton McCandlish
Shadow-Archivists: Dan Carosone / Paul Southworth
Ralph Sims / Jyrki Kuoppala
Ian Dickinson
Copy Icecreamer: B. Robbins
CONTENTS, #7.11 (Thu, Feb 9, 1995)
File 1--Intro to Jim Warren Special Issue
File 2--GovAccess.098v2: ACTION NEEDED ASAP! re public access to fed rcds
File 3--GovAccess.097: Attn!; Econ Bull; MuniNet; Nat'l Press Contacts
File 4--GovAccess.096: VA *Action*; IRS Eyes; Congr.FTP; WV; NY; Privy
File 5--Cu Digest Header Information (unchanged since 25 Nov 1994)
CuD ADMINISTRATIVE, EDITORIAL, AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION APPEARS IN
THE CONCLUDING FILE AT THE END OF EACH ISSUE.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 22:51:19 CST
From: CuD Moderators <cudigest@mindvox.phantom.com>
Subject: File 1--Intro to Jim Warren Special Issue
Jim Warren's contributions to cyberspace are well known to
old-timers. Newcomers, however, might not be aware that he is
probably the person most singularly responsible for pushing
state and federal government toward Net accessibility, for
keeping us all abreast of critical government-access issues,
and for generally serving as a conduit for timely news and
information about legislation and policy issues of cyber-relevance.
Because of time and space, we can't always run as much of Jim's
work as we'd like. But, with an occasional special issue, we can
share is works with both new-comers and his long-time fans.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 16:18:26 -0800
From: Jim Warren <jwarren@WELL.SF.CA.US>
Subject: File 2--GovAccess.098v2: ACTION NEEDED ASAP! re public access to fed rc
ds
This needs action THIS WEEK!
[Apologies if you who are on the regular GovAccess list receive more
than one copy of this. It's HIGHLY TIME-SENSITIVE. I sent it
yesterday morning to my new automated listserv but apparently it's
bottled-up somewhere. So, I am resending it via my old, semi-manual
GovAccess distribution system.]
This concerns an information-supressing amendment that is being jambed
through Congress *FAST* - probably THIS WEEK - by powerful lobbyists who
have spent a fortune on this and apparently don't *want* any careful public
deliberative process, much less a fair opportunity for public input.
It not only voids public access to federal court records in their modern
form; it severely endangers the now-potent federal Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA).
This is longer than usual about a single topic because it is an EMERGENCY
ACTION ALERT and needs to provide adequate information on which to base an
informed decision, and the contact-information needed for *immediate*
effective action.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Tue, 7 Feb 1995 10:07:32 -0500
From: xxxxx@clark.net [blanked his id because I didn't have time to get
his permission to repost with his identity --jim]
Jim, read the whole post and take a special look at the 'graph below:
>Indeed, if Oliver North had used
>a private contractor for the White House email system, those
>records would appear to be off limits to both FOIA and a
>government supeana. Moreover, the provison would apply even in
>cases where the firm did not have a copyright or any other
>protectable intellectually property right, a huge change in
>federal law.
>
I wouldn't be surprised if White House aides were already using a private
system for some sensitive records. Just a hunch. At any rate you can bet
that officials from both parties won't shy away from taking advantage of
this loophole if it opens up. Thanks to telnet, ftp and whatnot, of course,
the contractor's computers could be anywhere. For all I know, maybe the
contractor could be outside the country (I haven't any idea what the
procurement regs would say on this).
I'd love to find out about Gingrich's own possible involvement in the bill.
It mocks everything he's said about the need for electronic democracy.
Having fought some pretty nasty FOIA battles in my time, I feel a little too
much deju vu.
Be interesting to see what the White House policy is on this stuff. I won't
get my hopes up. This could well be a bipartisan effort against the citizenry.
>Date: Tue, 7 Feb 1995 05:38:23 -0500
>Errors-To: tap-info-owner@essential.org
>Originator: tap-info@essential.org
>From: James Love <love@essential.org>
>Subject--Help! West Publishing seeks broad change in FOIA
>
>TAXPAYER ASSETS PROJECT - INFORMATION POLICY NOTE
>CROWN JEWELS CAMPAIGN - Juris, Legal Information
>February 7, 1995
>
>We need help from everyone!!!!!!!! Please distribute this
>widely. jamie love (love@tap.org, 610/658-0880 or 202/387-8030)
>
>- Hearings set for today (Tuesday February 7) on bill
> containing special interest provision for West Publishing.
> Hearings will be held before the subcommittee on "Regulatory
> Affairs."
>
>- House republicans have slated quick action on the bill.
> Subcommittee Mark-up is set for thursday and full committee
> mark-up is set for friday. (Telephone and Fax numbers of
> committee members given below)
>
>- House republicans introduce legislation with a section
> requested by West Publishing that will provide sweeping
> changes in federal freedom of information act, and prevent
> federal agencies from creating a public database that use
> the West Publishing page numbers to reference case law.
>
>- The "West Provision" would also end its lawsuit with Tax
> Analyst, a Virginia publisher, who is seeking access to the
> Department of Justice JURIS database of court decisions in
> order to put the information into the public domain. Tax
> Analysts alleges the JURIS database of court decisions are
> subject to FOIA and not protected by copyright. A victory
> by Tax Analysts in this case will lead to a public domain
> database of federal court decisions.
>
>- The West Provision in the legislation would extend far
> beyond West Publishing's struggle to maintain its grip on
> the market for legal information. It would exclude all
> contractor generated records from the federal Freedom of
> Information Act. Examples of databases that would be
> affected by provision would be the SEC's EDGAR database and
> the Department of Education ERIC database.
>
>- Help needed in removing this special interest provision.
> Telephone and fax numbers for the Subcommittee on Regulatory
> Affairs are given below.
>
>>From best we can determine, the so called "Paperwork Reduction
>Act" bill was introduced late yesterday or will be introduced
>early today. We do not have a bill number yet. There will be a
>hearing on today (Tuesday February 7) before the "Subcommittee on
>National Economic Growth, Natural Resources, and Regulatory
>Affairs," more commonly referred to as the subcommittee on
>"Regulatory Affairs." Subcommittee Mark-up is set for thursday
>and full committee (the apparently misnamed Committee on
>Government Reform and Oversight) mark-up is set for friday.
>
>A provision in this bill [Section 3518 (f) of the "Chairman's
>Mark"] would do the following.
>
> If any person "adds value" to public information, the
> federal government would not have "any right to obtain,
> collect, acquire, disseminate, use or convert," the
> data, database or information product, or "any method
> used by the person to identify such resulting data,
> databases or information product," except "under terms
> that are expressly agreed to by such person."
>
>This provision is being sold as a simple restatement of the law,
>but that is a far from true (or more bluntly, a lie). The
>provision in the bill is so broad that it covers all contractor
>performed work on behalf of agencies, and effectively exempts
>contractor generated records from the federal Freedom of
>Information Act (FOIA). For example, since LEXIS "adds value" to
>the EDGAR database by taking the incomming filings from the
>government and putting them in a database, even if the government
>had a copy of the database, it could not dissmeinate the records
>without the consent of LEXIS. Likewise, many databases, such as
>the Department of Education ERIC database, are largely put
>together by private contactors. Indeed, if Oliver North had used
>a private contractor for the White House email system, those
>records would appear to be off limits to both FOIA and a
>government supeana. Moreover, the provison would apply even in
>cases where the firm did not have a copyright or any other
>protectable intellectually property right, a huge change in
>federal law.
>
>The provision would specifically apply to an active federal
>lawsuit between West Publishing and Tax Analysts, over the
>Department of Justice JURIS database. West Publishing was a
>contractor on JURIS, an online system run by the Department of
>Justice, which contains several decades of federal court
>decisions. West Publishing is trying to prevent Tax Analysts
>from obtaining copies of court decisions contained in the
>government's JURIS database. Tax Analyst believes the records
>are subject to FOIA, and not protected by copyright. If Tax
>Analysts (fmi, Tom Field, 703/533-4400 or Eleanor Lewis 301/652-
>3453) wins the law suit, which has been very expensive, it plans
>to put the data into the public domain, creating a public
>database of federal court decisions -- something that West
>Publishing is fighting against. Moreover, the West assertion of
>its copyright of legal citations is being challenged in federal
>court in New York by Hyperlaw, a small CD-ROM publisher (fmi,
>Alan Sugarman, President, 212/877-1371, sugarman@panix.com). If
>Sugarman wins his case, the West provision would prevent the
>Department of Justice from using the West citations in a public
>database.
>
>
> WHAT CAN YOU DO?
>
>We are asking people to send a brief message by fax the members
>to the full committee, asking Congress to delete the special
>interest provison for West Publishing.
>
>
> Committee on Government Reform and Oversight
> 104th Congress
>
>** = Subcommittee on National Economic Growth, Natural Resources,
>
> and Regulatory Affairs
>
>REPUBLICAN
>
>William Clinger, Jr. (PA) 225-5121 225-4681
>Benjamin Gilman, (NY) 225-3776 225-2541
>Dan Burton, (IA) 225-2276 225-0016
>Constance Morella, (MD) 225-5341 225-1389
>Christopher Shays, (CO) 225-5541 225-9629
>Steven Schiff, (NM) 225-6316 225-4975
>Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, (FL) 225-3931 225-5620
>William Zeliff, Jr. (NH) 225-5456 225-4370
>John McHugh, (NY) ** 225-4611 226-0621
>Stephen Horn, (CA) 225-6676 226-1012
>John Mica, (FL) 225-4035 226-0821
>Peter Blute, (MA) 225-6101 225-2217
>Thomas Davis, (VA) 225-1492 225-3071
>David McIntosh, (IA) 225-3021 225-3382
>Jon Fox, (PA) ** 225-6111 225-3155
>Randy Tate, (WA) ** 225-8901 225-3484
>Dick Chrysler, (MI) 225-4872 225-3034
>Gil Gutknecht, (MN) ** 225-2472 225-3246
>Mark Souder, (IA) 225-4436 225-3479
>William Martini, (NJ) 225-5751 225-3372
>Joe Scarborough, (FL) ** 225-4136 225-3414
>John Shadegg, (AZ) ** 225-3361 225-3462
>Michael Flanagan, (IL) 225-4061 225-3128
>Charles Bass, (NH) 225-5206 225-2946
>Steve LaTourette, (OH) 225-5731 225-3307
>Mark Sanford, (SC) 225-3176 225-3407
>Robert Ehrlich, Jr. (MD) ** 225-3061 225-3094
>
>DEMOCRAT
>
>Cardiss Collins, (IL) 225-5006 225-8396
>Henry Waxman, (CA) ** 225-3976 225-4099
>Tom Lantos, (CA) 225-3531 225-7900
>Robert Wise, Jr. (WV) 225-2711 225-7856
>Major Owens, (NY) 225-6231 226-0112
>Edolphus Towns, (NY) 225-5936 225-1018
>John Spratt, Jr. (SC) ** 225-5501 225-0464
>Louise Slaughter, (NY) ** 225-3615 225-7822
>Paul Kanjorski, (PA) ** 225-6511 225-0764
>Gary Condit, (CA) ** 225-6131 225-0819
>Collin Peterson, (MN) ** 225-2165 225-1593
>Karen Thurman, (FL) 225-1002 226-0329
>Carolyn Maloney, (NY) 225-7944 225-4709
>Thomas Barrett, (WI) 225-3571 225-2185
>Gene Taylor, (MI) 225-5772 225-7074
>Barbara Rose Collins, (MI) 225-2261 225-6645
>Eleanor Holmes Norton, (DC) 225-8050 225-3002
>James P. Moran, (VA) 225-4376 225-0017
>Gene Green, (TX) 225-1688 225-9903
>Carrie Meek, (FL) 225-4506 226-0777
>Frank Mascara, (PA) 225-4665 225-3377
>Chaka Fattah, (PA) 225-4001 225-6466
>
>INDEPENDENT
>Bernard Sanders, (VT) 225-4115 225-6790
>
>
>Key Administration Officials:
>
>OMB
>
>Sally Katzen voice: 202/395-4852
> sally.katzen@eop.sprint.com
>
>Bruce McConnell voice: 202/395-3785
> bruce.mcconnell@eop.sprint.com
>
>Department of Justice
>
>Paul Friedman voice: 202/514-1721
> friedman@justice.doj.gov
>
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>TAP-INFO is an Internet Distribution List provided by the Taxpayer
>Assets Project (TAP). TAP was founded by Ralph Nader to monitor the
>management of government property, including information systems and
>data, government funded R&D, spectrum allocation and other government
>assets. TAP-INFO reports on TAP activities relating to federal
>information policy. tap-info is archived at ftp and gopher at
>essential.org and cpsr.org.
>
>Subscription requests to tap-info to listproc@tap.org with
>the message: subscribe tap-info your name
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>Taxpayer Assets Project; P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
>v. 202/387-8030; f. 202/234-5176; internet: tap@tap.org
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 20:20:13 -0800
From: Jim Warren <jwarren@WELL.SF.CA.US>
Subject: File 3--GovAccess.097: Attn!; Econ Bull; MuniNet; Nat'l Press Contacts
GovAccess About to Move to an Automated Listserv [details real soon now]
I am about to switch GovAccess from my current, masochistic, semi-manual
operation, to a standard-style, automated listserv - as soon as I finish
updating its addressee lists. This should be completed within a day or
two.
At that time, I will announce details in the next GovAccess, sent this ol'
fashioned way, and send a test-message to the new listserv. If it and I
survive the transition, the changeover will be complete by mid-week. --jim
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
First You Have to Get Their Attention ...
[IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO CIRCULATE THIS WIDELY!]
As of mid-January, ten of the nation's 100 Senators and about half of the
U.S. Representatives had public email addresses.
But it's *widely* known that many local, state and federal elected
officials and their staff routinely ignore or functionally-disregard
communications that come from anyone other than (a) people in their
districts, (b) "important" people and (c) lobbyists and donors, anywhere.
Email provides an interesting option:
1. Your email addr often gives little indication of where you are located
- especially on those systems that have national and global users.
2. Your eaddr rarely gives any indication of whether you are "important" -
leaving the possibility open that you *may* have numerous contacts in an
elected representative's district ... all the more possible, once
politicians begin to realize that the Internet provides us with free, fast
global broadcasting.
So - if you don't help 'em identify how inconsequential you are, and don't
tell 'em that you live somewhere far-distant from their voters ... then
they may be more-likely to consider your comments as *possibly* being from
one of their constituents, and *possibly* from someone who can influence
voters in their district.
Their attention to your comments is appropriate - regardless of where in
the nation you live - since their votes usually impact *all* citizens,
pervasively. (This - and the issues of freedom of expression - are also
worth keeping in mind, when we are tempted to seek prohibitions against
out-of-district political donations and "outsider" campaign assistance.)
--jim
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Enlightening Tidbits About Washington's "Legislative English"
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 95 08:15:31 PST
From: "John Broughton" <John_Broughton@ccmail.lbl.gov>
[responding to some of my naive/uninformed questions re debt & deficit -j]
"Authorizes" has a very specific (and different) meaning for the federal
government (the normal sequence of events is authorize, appropriate,
commit, obligate, expend; the deficit is measured at the "obligate" point).
[I *trust* this source - Masters in Public Policy, Doctoral Fellow at the
US GAO, primary author of a GAO report, 20 yerars in federal work, now with
Internal Audit Services at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. --jim]
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Department of Commerce Economic Bulletin Board Has Public Access
From: d.wiesner@genie.geis.com
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 95 07:17:00 UTC
Economic Bulletin Board: Department of Commerce system provides access to
thousands of data files, more than 700 of them updated daily. Includes
information about current economic conditions, economic indicators,
employment, foreign trade, monetary matters and more in 20 general subject
areas.
Path: telnet ebb.stat- usa.gov / userid:guest (2/94).
Path: gopher gopher.lib.umich.edu / social sciences resources / economics
(2/94).
Path: telnet una.hh.lib.umich.edu / login:gopher / social sciences
resources / economics (2/94).
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
MuniNet - FinanceNet's List for City Managers
Mon, 30 Jan 1995 17:08:27 CST
From: brich@nsf.gov
FinanceNet has recently added a new public listserv mailing list,
coordinated by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, titled
"MuniNet". This is a distribution and discussion list for issues relating
to financial accountability and stewardship of municipalities, towns and
townships within larger geopolitical jurisdictions. As in the
"state-county" list, documents and discussions will broadly relate to
accounting matters, bonds, revenues and taxation, budgets, systems, fees,
licenses, audits, controls, payroll, and all other issues of interest to
clerks, and other local gov't financial management staff and taxpayers.
This list will also provide a communications medium for the membership and
agenda issues for the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, and
other local gov't professional organizations.
To subscribe to the MuniNet list, send the email message (no subject
necessary) to listproc@financenet.gov with the following in the BODY:
SUBSCRIBE MuniNet yourfirstname yourlastname
For example: subscribe MuniNet John Doe
You will be automatically subscribed and receive user instructions by
return email.
FinanceNet is an independent public Internet network established by Vice
President Gore's National Performance Review in Washington, D.C. and
operated by the National Science Foundation. FinanceNet reaches across
geopolitical boundaries to link taxpayers and gov't financial management
staff worldwide to catalyze continuous improvements in govt's stewardship
and accountability of taxpayer resources.
FinanceNet seeks to achieve these goals by (1) encouraging dialog for the
sharing of ideas, best practices and successes through subscriptions to a
series of public Internet mail lists and discussion forums, and (2) by
providing an instantly available electronic library of financial
information on gopher and World Wide Web Internet servers to empower
government financial operations staff to make more effective decisions.
For complete information on all FinanceNet services send a blank Internet
e-mail message to:
info@financenet.gov
For more specific information on the many FinanceNet Internet mail lists,
send a blank e-mail message (no subject necessary) to:
email-info@financenet.gov
You will automatically receive a response by return e-mail with complete
details.
To subscribe to our general interest list for financial management news,
notices and announcements, send the message:
subscribe news yourfirstname yourlastname
to listproc@financenet.gov
FinanceNet's URL addresses:
gopher://gopher.financenet.gov
http://www.financenet.gov/
ftp://ftp.financenet.gov
point newsreaders to news.financenet.gov
Owner: B. Preston Rich preston.rich@nsf.gov
Co-Chair, FinanceNet Core Team Voice: (703) 306-1282
Established by Vice President Gore's Fax: (703) 306-0287
Office of the National Performance Review Washington, D.C.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Contact Vectors for the Fourth Estate of Government
Date: Sun, 22 Jan 1995 18:42:57 -0800
From: Andre Bacard <abacard@well.sf.ca.us>
Attached is a media list that you might want for your GovAccess online
newsletter. This material is a gift from Char Roberts, a generous Bay Area
fellow who's at <croberts@crl.com>.
Char writes:
My list is ... also available via anonymous ftp at
ftp.crl.com/users/ro/croberts/tvfax.txt. Updates
encouraged!
[Also appended is a listing of broadcast media in the Washington DC area.]
TV PROGRAMS - ADDRESS/PHONE/FAX
NBC CBS
DATELINE-NBC 48-HOURS-CBS
------------ ------------
30 Rockefeller Plaza #510 555 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10112 New York, NY 10019
212-664-4444 212-975-4321
212-664-7073 FAX 212-975-5797 FAX
MEET THE PRESS-NBC 60-MINUTES-CBS
------------------ --------------
4001 Nebraska Avenue, NW 524 West 57th Street
Washington, DC 20016 New York, NY 10019
202-885-4598 516-324-5748
02-966-4544 FAX
NOW with TOM BROKAW CBS THIS MORNING
& KATIE COURIC ----------------
------------------- 524 West 57th Street
30 Rockefeller Plaza #304 New York, NY 10019
New York, NY 10112 212-975-3605
212-664-4444 212-975-2115 FAX
212-664-7355 FAX
FACE THE NATION-CBS
TODAY SHOW-NBC -------------------
-------------- 2020 M Street
30 Rockefeller Plaza #304 Washington, DC 20036
New York, NY 10112 202-457-4481
212-664-4444 202-457-1533 FAX
212-664-6447 FAX
MAURY POVICH-CBS
TONIGHT SHOW-NBC ----------------
---------------- 221 West 26th Street
3000 West Alameda #2190 New York, NY 10112
Burbank, CA 91523 212-989-8800
818-840-2240 FAX 212-255-6646 FAX
ABC PBS
20/20-ABC MACNIEL/LEHRER NEWSHOUR-PBS
--------- ---------------------------
147 Columbus Avenue 3620 South 27th Street
New York, NY 10112 Arlington, VA 22206
212-456-7777 703-998-2810 or 2844
212-456-2969 FAX 703-845-1458 FAX
DAY ONE-ABC CHARLIE ROSE SHOW-PBS
----------- -----------------
147 Columbus Avenue 356 West 56th Street
New York, NY 10023 New York, NY 10019
212-456-7777 212-560-2909
212-560-6970 FAX
DONAHUE SHOW-ABC DAVID FROST SHOW-PBS
---------------- --------------------
30 Rockefeller Plaza #827 P.O. Box 2626
New York, NY 10112 Washington, DC 20012
212-664-6518 703-998-2626
310-275-5670
GOOD MORNING AMERICA-ABC MCLAUGLIN GROUP-PBS
------------------------ -------------------
1717 DeSales St., NW 1211 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036 Washington, DC 20036
202-887-7360 202-457-0870
202-887-7685 FAX 202-296-2285 FAX
NIGHTLINE-ABC FRONTLINE-PBS
------------- -------------
1717 DeSales St., NW WGBH BOSTON
Washington, DC 20036 125 Western Ave
202-887-7360 Boston, MA
202-887-7976 FAX 617-492-2777
800-328-PBS1 VIDEOTAPES
303-831-9000 TRANSCRIPTS
PRIME TIME WITH SAM DONALDSON-AC
--------------------------------- Note: PBS programs receive taxpayer
1717 DeSales St., NW funding from the Corporation for
Washington, DC 20036 Public Broadcasting.
202-222-7090 CPB, Second Floor
202-222-7343 FAX 901 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20004-2006
COMPLAINTS:
CPB/Office of Inspector
General
202-879-9669
CNN C-SPAN
--- ------
One CNN Center 400 North Capitol St., NW
Atlanta, GA 30348-5366 Suite 650
404-827-1782 Washington, DC 20001
404-827-1593 FAX 202-737-3220
202-737-6226 FAX
LARRY KING LIVE-CNN
-------------------
820 1st Street, NE
11th Floor
Washington, DC 20002
202-898-7911
202-898-7923 FAX
INSIDER POLITICS-CNN
--------------------
[K820 1st Street, NE
11th Floor
Washington, DC 20002
202-898-7911
202-842-5180 FAX
CROSSFIRE-CNN
-------------
820 1st Street, NE
11th Floor
Washington, DC 20002
202-898-7911
202-898-7611 FAX
--------------------
List of Broadcast Media Outlets in Washington, DC
ABC News
1717 DeSales St., NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-222-7777
Fax: 202-222-7686 or 7684
Bureau Chief: Robin Sproul
ABC Radio News
1717 DeSales St., NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-222-7630
Bureau Chief: Richard Rosenbaum
BET-TV
1899 9th St., NE
Washington, DC 20018
Phone: 202-636-2803
Fax: 202-529-4009
News Director: Deborah Tang
CNN
820 1st St., NE
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-898-7900
Fax: 202-898-7565
Bureau Chief: William W. Headline
Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN)
400 N. Capitol St., NW #650
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-737-3220
Fax: 202-737-6226
Director of Programming: Terry Murphy
CBS News
2000 M St., NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-457-4444
Fax: 202-457-4344
Bureau Chief: Barbara Cochran
CBS Radio
2020 M St., NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-457-4366
Fax: 202-659-5578
Bureau Chief: Gerome Navies
Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC)
1825 K St., NW, #917
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: 202-467-5400
Fax: 202-467-5610
Bureau Chief: Glenn Rochkind
Fox Television Stations, Inc.
5151 Wisconsin Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20016
Phone: 202-895-3000
Fax: 202-895-3133
NBC-TV
4001 Nebraska Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016
Phone: 202-885-4200
Fax: 202-362-2009
Bureau Chief: Tim Russert
National Public Radio
635 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-414-3232
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 20:40:06 -0800
From: Jim Warren <jwarren@WELL.SF.CA.US>
Subject: File 4--GovAccess.096: VA *Action*; IRS Eyes; Congr.FTP; WV; NY; Privy
46-Million Msgs per Year; 270-Million Population - Some Folks Write Often!
Fri, 27 Jan 1995 08:36:15 -0500 (EST)
>From Grace A York <graceyor@umich.edu>
One of our doctoral students says Congress receives 46 million pieces of
mail per year!
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Virginia *ACTION ALERT*!!: Feb.4th Vote on Access to State Legislative Info
Date: Thu, 02 Feb 1995 15:22:33 -0500 (EST)
From: "Richard P. Klau" <KLAURICH@uofrlaw.urich.edu>
I've sent the following announcement out to Usenet - it slipped through two
committees w/o so much as a voice against it. Also, it has been upgraded to
a "prototype" bill, or whatever they call it - now, instead of a study, it
would require the creation of a prototype of the system to then be
implemented for full access in the next term.
The Virginia General Assembly is about to vote on House Joint Resolution
482, named "Internet Study" by its sponsor, Delegate Steve Newman. HJ 482
was originally intended to be a "study bill" which would have required a
study of the feasability of providing Internet access to Virginia's
legislative information.
However, HJ 482 has been "upgraded" so that if it passes, the State will be
required to develop a prototype of such a system. If successful, the
prototype would be converted to a full system for Virginians in the next
legislative session.
The bill is on the floor of the House of Delegates and debate will occur on
Saturday, February 4, 1995. A vote will most likely take place on Monday,
February 6, 1995.
Delegate Newman's legislative aide Curt Diemer indicates that the general
reaction to the bill has been positive. However, there has been no
indication to the General Assembly that Virginians like you and me will
actually use such a system.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
The General Assembly has one fax number for the Delegates. If you do not
know who your Delegate is, call Delegate Newman's office and ask Curt
Diemer who represents your area. Fax your Delegate stating your support of
HJ 482, and state why - *briefly*. [One page is about the right length. -j]
This has to happen NOW! The vote will happen within a few days. The Fax
number for the House of Delegates is: (804)786-6310
If you have any more questions about this bill, please feel free to contact
me. A listserv at the Electronic Frontier Foundation is in the process of
being set up and I will send information out once it is finalized.
Richard P. Klau
2L, University of Richmond
TC Williams School of Law
klaurich@uofrlaw.urich.edu
Note: I am not speaking for the University.
[This seems to be moving *awfully* fast by legislative standards. Hmmm.
BEWARE!!! - Two major potential "gotchas: Someone needs to check the exact
text in this bill *immediately* - to make sure that it explicitly
*prohibits* any state agency from charging access fees for access to these
crucial public legislative records, and that it explicitly *permits* re-use
and re-distribution of copies of any and all such records as soon as they
are made available, for free or for fee, by individuals, publishers,
nonprofit organizations and commercial entrepreneurs. --jim]
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
IRS Initiates Massive New Database - Item [6] from the EPIC Alert (below)
On December 20, the Internal Revenue Service announced in the Federal
Register that it was planning a new database to monitor compliance of
taxpayers in a project entitled Compliance 2000. The database would contain
information on all individuals in the U.S. who conduct certain financial
transactions and would be segmented by different criteria:
Any individual who has business and/or financial
activities. These may be grouped by industry, occupation,
or financial transactions, included in commercial
databases, or in information provided by state and local
licensing agencies.
The new database will combine private and public sector databases in a
single searchable entity. A number of federal financial databases from the
IRS will be enhanced with state, local and commercial sources. The Federal
Register notice describes the non-tax databases:
Examples of other information would include data
from commercial databases, any state's Department
of Motor Vehicles (DMV), credit bureaus, state and
local real estate records, commercial publications,
newspapers, airplane and pilot information, U.S.
Coast Guard vessel registration information, any
state's Department of Natural Resources
information, as well as other state and local
records. In addition, Federal government databases
may also be accessed, such as, federal employment
files, federal licensing data, etc.
Finally, even though the proposed system would use frequently inaccurate
"commercial databases" such as direct marketing records, taxpayers would
not be able to review their records to ensure that they are accurate and up
to date: "This system is exempt from the access and contest provisions of
the Privacy Act."
EPIC is filing comments asking the IRS to reconsider its use of commercial
databases and to ensure that there are greater safeguards on the collection
and use of personal information.
A copy of the Federal Register notice is available at cpsr.org
/cpsr/privacy/epic/IRS_compliance_2000_notice_txt Comments on the proposed
system must be received by January 19, 1995, and sent to Office of
Disclosure, Internal Revenue Service, 1111 Conn. Ave, NW, Washington, DC
20224. EPIC's Comments are available at cpsr.org
/cpsr/privacy/epic/epic_irs_compliance_2000_comments.txt .
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Congressional Vectors in Database Format - Available by FTP
Sat, 28 Jan 1995 17:50:36 -0800 (PST)
>From "Janet E. Harrison" <tat@well.sf.ca.us>
I have put together databases in various file formats for the House and
the Senate. I have sent them to Jeff Chan for putting into his ftp
directory. The files include fields for LName, FName, Party, State,
District, Chamber, Room, OfficeBuilding, Zip, email, voicephone, and
fax. There are also separate files that have only names and fax numbers
of members for whom I have numbers, without all the other fields, to make
them easy to import into faxmodem software's phonebooks.
The files are available in ascii comma-delimited format, WordPerfect 5.1
secondary merge file format, and WordPerfect Office Notebook format. The
fax-only files are only available in ascii comma-delimited format.
The fax numbers are more complete than those in Grace York's list at
U.Mich. I have emailed my list to her so she can update hers.
The ftp site is: ftp://ftp.shell.portal.com/pub/chan/federal/104
[Now, about this list's monumental maintenance problem ... :-) --jim]
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
West Virginia Apparently Offers *Modern* Copies of Its Public Records
Thu, 26 Jan 1995 22:12:41 -0500
>From Wayne Lorentz <WCHSNews@AOL.COM> via Peter Sussman <pys@well.sf.ca.us>
To: Multiple recipients of list FOI-L <FOI-L@suvm.acs.syr.EDU>
[This is a Freedom-of-Information listserv. --jim]
A surprising Diamond in the search for information is the state of West
Virginia. According to the FOI law, if the information you are looking for
is in a form other than paper copy, it must be provided to you in that
form, if you request.
To quote (Hey, I'm a journalist - it's more than a habit - it's a nervous tick)
SS29B-1-3-3
"...if the records requested exist in magnetic, electronic, or computer
form, the custodian of the records shall make such copies available on
magnetic or electronic media, if so requested."
That quote is from an earlier version (I keep the most recent one at work).
The current rendition has been expanded from magnetic media to films,
slides, overheads, etc... Very nice, indeed, especially after the horror
stories I've heard in other states.
As an example, I was doing a project on fraud. So I started with a list of
all the not-for-profit groups registered in the state. To print it out
would have been over one hundred pages. However, since the list is stored
in a Paradox database on their IBM computers, I was able to get a copy of
the file on a computer disk. I used the Quattro Pro spreadsheet to look at
and manipulate the data (since I don't have a database program).
Very helpful, and saved me money over the "reasonable cost" of duplication
(they only charged $5 for the whole thing.) [ <===!!! WOW! --jim]
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
New York State Government Documents Online Library, Apparently Fee-Free
>From john.perz@hvbbs.com (John Perz)
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 1995 01:35:54 GMT
The Legislative Gazette is a weekly newspaper covering the New York State
Government put out by journalism & political science majors at State
University of New York at Albany.
In the January 23 issue, in a special section on the New York State
Library, the following appeared:
" . . . NYSDOC is a mailing list for New York State government documents
and information issues. To subscribe, send a message to
listproc@unix2.nysed.gov with message "subscribe NYSDOC firstname
lastname". To post messages, send to nysdoc@unix2.nysed.gov The contact
person for the list is David Gosda, New York State Library,
david@unix2.nysed.gov (518-473-6297)."
"As a viable and necessary component of external information management,
the State Library in cooperation with the State Archives and Records
Administration is developing a prototype government Information Locator
System (ILS). The ILS provides descriptive histories and organizational
information about all 75 state agencies. It is accessible over the Internet
(unix2.nysed.gov) and includes connections to executive, legislative, and
judicial information servers (gophers) as well as government information
sources such as the New York State OGS Contract Database and the Rural
Assistance Information Network."
"Joseph F.Shubert, state librarian and assistant commissioner for
libraries, explained that "the New York State Library is ready to receive
New York State publications in electronic format and make them available
via the Internet, under the provision of chapter 331 of the Laws of 1994."
This summer, legislation was signed requiring state agencies to forward a
machine-readable copy of all public documents recorded in electronic or
machine-readable format to the New York State Library."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Eating the Internal Revenue Code - A RoboGopher Progress Report
Fri, 27 Jan 95 18:25:13 +0100
>From <a *very* reliable friend>
[In the last exciting episode, our hero was about to hack <not crack!> his
Gopher source-code so it would *automatically* retrieve several thousand
separate files that compose the Codes of interest.]
My newly-born RoboGopher is now happily lapping up the 1994 Internal
Revenue Code from the House Gopher server (hamilton1.house.gov), which has
the *entire* U.S. Code on-line. Since the Internal Revenue code comprises
just two of the 50 titles of the USC, and it's 22 megabytes, the mind
boggles at how big the whole thing must be (though I suspect the IRC is
more complicated than most).
[I had commented, earlier, re such Gopher automation:]
>>I'm surprised that it's not already>been done and splattered all over the
>>net.
I'm virtually certain something so obvious has been done dozens of times,
but a check of the FAQs and a scan of the Gopher newsgroup turned up
nothing other than one plaintive request for precisely what I was hoping to
find--and no replies.
What I've got is currently heroically ugly--the name of the directory where
it puts the retrieved files is compiled into the program--but it required
less than 50 lines of changes to the gopher client program to add recursive
retrieval. You just navigate to the root of the material you want to
retrieve and press "z". It walks through an arbitrarily deep hierarchy in
order, saving each item to a file name consisting of a zero-filled number
that increments from 1 to the number of files saved, followed by the item
title converted into a Unix file name as Gopher currently does. It sleeps
for 30 seconds between documents to avoid getting a reputation as a
net.hog.
If you run across somebody with a need for something like this (who doesn't
mind rebuilding such programs from the source), let me know and I'll clean
it up and send it their way.
[UNIX HACKERS: I think this would be almost-exactly the tool needed to
auto-fetch the thousands of separate files that compose the California
Legislature's public archives of legislation, statutes and the
constitution. Da? And, after the first humonguous sucking sound, probably
this RoboRooter - used to dislodge what RotoRooters are usually used for -
could be trivially-modified so as to fetch only those files that have been
modified after a certain date.]
After I finish updating the tax code, I'll probably also do the Patents,
Copyrights, and Nationality titles if I can summon the courage to wade
through more ugly ASCII.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
EPIC - Electronic Privacy Information Center - Lobbies DC; Informs US
The Electronic Privacy Information Center is a public interest research
center in Washington, DC. It was established in 1994 to focus public
attention on emerging privacy issues relating to the National Information
Infrastructure, such as the Clipper Chip, the Digital Telephony proposal,
medical record privacy, and the sale of consumer data. EPIC is sponsored by
the Fund for Constitutional Government and Computer Professionals for
Social Responsibility. EPIC publishes the EPIC Alert and EPIC Reports,
pursues Freedom of Information Act litigation, and conducts policy research
on emerging privacy issues.
Example EPIC ALERT online newsletter contents: Volume 2.01, Jan. 18, 1995
[1] Nader Speaks to Privacy Advocates
[2] European Privacy Directive Moves Forward
[3] EPIC Calls for Congressional FOIA
[4] New DOJ Guidelines on Computer Search and Seizure
[5] Court Dismisses LaMacchia Case
[6] IRS Initiates New Database System
[7] EPIC WWW Page and Digicash Donations
[8] Upcoming Conferences and Events [...]
The Fund for Constitutional Government is a non-profit organization
established in 1974 to protect civil liberties and constitutional rights.
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility is a national membership
organization of people concerned about the impact of technology on society.
For information contact: cpsr-info@cpsr.org
For more information, email info@epic.org, WWW at HTTP://epic.digicash.com
/epic or write EPIC, 666 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, Suite 301, Washington, DC
20003. (202) 544-9240 (tel), (202) 547-5482 (fax).
The EPIC Alert is a free biweekly publication of the Electronic
Privacy Information Center. To subscribe, send the message:
SUBSCRIBE CPSR-ANNOUNCE Firstname Lastname
to listserv@cpsr.org. You may also receive the Alert by reading the
USENET newsgroup comp.org.cpsr.announce.
Back issues are available via FTP/WAIS/Gopher/HTTP from cpsr.org
/cpsr/alert and on Compuserve (Go NCSA), Library 2 (EPIC/Ethics). An
HTML version of the current issue is available from epic.digicash.com/epic
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"Let us contemplate our forefathers, and posterity, and resolve to maintain
the rights bequeathed to us from the former, for the sake of the latter.
... Let us remember that 'if we suffer tamely a lawless attack upon our
liberty, we encourage it, and involve others in our doom.' It is a very
serious consideration that millions yet unborn may be the miserable sharers
of the event."
- Samuel Adams ("patriot, statesman, brewer"), speech, 1771
[via Stanton McCandlish <mech@eff.org> ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1994 22:51:01 CDT
From: CuD Moderators <tk0jut2@mvs.cso.niu.edu>
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