One Reason the Teachers Retirement System Is in Trouble
I filed a Freedom of Information request with Illinois’ Downstate Teachers Retirement Fund.
I came up dry and got a reply through an email.
This letter with $5.75 postage did not need to be sent since the reply to McHenry County Blog's Freedom of Information request was answered by email.
But, TRS also sent me a letter by Certified Mail
I talked to them about it, telling the Freedom of Information Office that the letter was unnecessary.
I told them if I wasn’t home I would not bother to go the Post Office to sign for it.
Nevertheless, TRS sent a certified letter.
It cost $5.75.
The same day, I received a reply from the City of Crystal Lake.
It came by regular mail.
Not that Crystal Lake didn’t used to be swimming in enough money to send replies by certified mail. I got four one day in 2009 when postage was $5.32 a letter.
Most governments comply with my requests via email.
Good enough for me and less work and cost to the government.
Not the Teachers Retirement System of the State of Illinois.
It uses money it doesn’t have enough of to reply at the highest cost possible.
No, I guess hand delivery would be more expensive.
Maybe they are trying to get the post office back on track.
1Specify in the FOIA you want NO paper documents.
Only electronic documents.
2