I just got off the phone with the FOIA officer for a small U.S. Army command. Generally I leave these conversations in a huff, but today I hung up the phone with a big smile on my face -- even though it's still unclear when I'll be getting the documents I have requested.

Here's why:

1) I'm a sucker for southern accents, and she had an absolutely lovely drawl.
2) She told me that I had requested "a lot of information" but didn't act as though this was a crime.
3) She said, "FOIA is a public access law. Many people don't understand that."
4) She gave me an update on my request and promised to do what she could to get over the bureaucratic hurdles.

While I realize that not every FOIA officer can have a southern accent, if they simply treated me the way this woman did, today, I'd be happy.

- mdl

Labels: FOIA