Broken Pentagon fax machine handling FOIA requests not being replaced until October - Polidicks

[URL]http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/17/4741292/broken-pentagon-fax-machine-rejecting-foia-requests-media[/URL] [quote=]The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is supposed to guarantee that the press gets access to public records within a timely fashion, and has been instrumental in [URL="http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/4/3835796/nsa-perfect-citizen-cyber-security-program-confirmed"]gathering documents[/URL] related to the recent National Security Agency revelations. But the existence of the Act isn't enough to make reporters' lives easy. Until recently, the most efficient method for making FOIA requests to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) was via fax. It was speedy and reliable, unlike snail mail and the registration-required web portal. About two weeks ago, [I]MuckRock[/I] reports, the fax machine [URL="https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2013/sep/12/not-fax-maam-dod-out-cash-buy-new-machine/"]stopped working[/URL] and won't be back up any time soon.[B] "We would hope that it is back up sometime in October, but could extend into November," [/B]a spokesman said.[/quote]

Someone who lives in DC go to office max and buy them one please

Yes, because it will take months for an intern to go down to Staples with $100 and buy a new fucking fax machine. I hope people start suing for FOIA violations.

Really? This is an excuse? Really? Really? This is all they could think of?

I feel that if Kinkos has more reliable fax machines than our government, it might be time to make some changes.

[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;42229930]Yes, because it will take months for an intern to go down to Staples with $100 and buy a new fucking fax machine.[/QUOTE] If you read the article, they're saying it's because they're out of money for the fiscal year, not because of the grievous difficulty in replacing a fax machine. Which is still silly, but I can only imagine the sort of red tape they have to cut through if their office has maxed out their budget for the fiscal year. My old office ran out of paper once and it took a month to get more because it took that long to resubmit a new budget request and get it approved.

They could just ask someone to buy it for them, and then give them the money back when they approve a new budget.

This is entirely the norm when it comes to government entities. Case in point, the gym on my base has had an out of order treadmill for roughly 3 months. The reason? [i]"Broken Handle"[/i]

[QUOTE=valkery;42229990]They could just ask someone to buy it for them, and then give them the money back when they approve a new budget.[/QUOTE] Not really, no. Everything has to be accounted for. Keep in mind that the law that makes situations like this so ridiculous is also the one that ostensibly prevents frivolous expenditures or under-the-table deals. [QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;42229930]I hope people start suing for FOIA violations.[/QUOTE] There are still several other ways to submit FOIA requests so fax being out isn't exactly a law-breaker, even if it is inconvenient. If they suddenly stop requesting written requests there will be an issue.

Lol what the fuck USA

[QUOTE=catbarf;42230011]Not really, no. Everything has to be accounted for. Keep in mind that the law that makes situations like this so ridiculous is also the one that ostensibly prevents frivolous expenditures or under-the-table deals. There are still several other ways to submit FOIA requests so fax being out isn't exactly a law-breaker, even if it is inconvenient. If they suddenly stop requesting written requests there will be an issue.[/QUOTE] Yeah. Write into the budget the hundred dollars you owe Mike from accounting. There goes the discrepancy in your new budget, they get a new fax machine, and Mike saves America from having to hand-write letters. Unless there's some rule against putting a sticky note on a document that says "We owe Mike $100. Make sure that goes in."

"[I]The only thing that saves us from the bureaucracy is its inefficiency[/I]." ~ Civ 5

[QUOTE=catbarf;42229977]If you read the article, they're saying it's because they're out of money for the fiscal year, not because of the grievous difficulty in replacing a fax machine. Which is still silly, but I can only imagine the sort of red tape they have to cut through if their office has maxed out their budget for the fiscal year. My old office ran out of paper once and it took a month to get more because it took that long to resubmit a new budget request and get it approved.[/QUOTE] The fiscal year ends September 30th. October would make sense, but November? I highly doubt it.

*facepalm*

[QUOTE=valkery;42230099]Unless there's some rule against putting a sticky note on a document that says "We owe Mike $100. Make sure that goes in."[/QUOTE] Then it's spending outside of the Congress-approved budget for the fiscal year and it's illegal and bad things happen. I know, it sounds stupid, but that's how accountability works. [QUOTE=gman003-main;42230534]The fiscal year ends September 30th. October would make sense, but November? I highly doubt it.[/QUOTE] Takes time for a new budget to get approved and the funds to be freed up.

i thought parks and recreation was a fictional comedy show about the government

[QUOTE=catbarf;42230680]Then it's spending outside of the Congress-approved budget for the fiscal year and it's illegal and bad things happen. I know, it sounds stupid, but that's how accountability works. Takes time for a new budget to get approved and the funds to be freed up.[/QUOTE] They never said it would be this year either.

Everyone here who requested their records overloaded the machine. [editline]18th September 2013[/editline] Except it's just a Fax machine.

Government requisition systems are terrible by experience, things take a long time to get replaced depending on how far along on the waiting list they are, a few weeks is pretty fast.

[img]http://imgkk.com/i/ffev.jpg[/img] mfw this article image they have poorly photoshopped 'fax error' on to [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LaserJet_4_Control_Panel.jpg"]wikipedia's image[/URL] of a laserjet 4 control panel

Someone "accidentally" hit it with a bat and now it won't work