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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW 'Mitigation banking' ... The El Niño effect ... Our View: Legislature left unfinished business on ethics ... 'Mitigation banking' ... The El Niño effect ... Our View: Legislature left unfinished business on ethics ... OUR VIEW Our View: White House public records move is less than sunny Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 19, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Mar. 19, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News The Obama administration has sometimes had a problem with the timing of public announcements, and one that took effect Monday is no exception. That would be Monday, March 16, James Madison's birthday and National Freedom of Information Day. The announcement? The White House Office of Administration is no longer subject to the Freedom of Information Act. The term "tone deaf" comes to mind. In all fairness, other offices within the White House are exempt from FOIA, and the Bush administration was the first to argue the Office of Administration should be as well — a move that was upheld by federal courts. Monday's change was essentially housekeeping from the White House's point of view: removing a federal regulation that was no longer being observed. But the Office of Administration operated under the Freedom of Information Act for 30 years. And a court ruling saying an office isn't subject to the act doesn't mean that office can't decide to comply anyway. The Office of Administration is in charge of keeping White House records and archiving emails, among other things. The federal appeals court ruling said those functions were operational and administrative tasks, and the office lacked any "substantial independent authority," so it was not subject to the Freedom of Information Act. In effect, Monday's White House action means there is no longer a way for the public to request that the office voluntarily disclose information, which it has done in the past. That hardly fits the spirit of President Obama's pledge to run "the most transparent" administration in history. Obama has made gestures toward that goal, announcing a "presumption of disclosure" rule that essentially says all information is presumed public unless a case can be made to keep it secret. However, that rings hollow when his administration has set a record — again — for censoring files or denying access to FOIA requests. The Obama administration also has prosecuted more leakers under the Espionage Act than all previous administrations combined. And now "the most transparent" administration in history has chosen Sunshine Week to announce the formal blocking of one more ray of light. If the presumption of disclosure means anything at all, surely it means that mundane information such as lists of White House visitors and the recipe for the beer brewed there — documents previously released by the Office of Administration — are not a threat to the security of the republic. The far bigger threat lies in the minds of those who would keep the American people in the dark about the workings of their own government. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 19, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501