McHenry County Blog

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.

I wrote last week of the difference between the Crystal Lake Park District’s, McHenry County College’s and Crystal Lake’s methods of notifying me about the status of Freedom of Information requests.

The park district calls, the junior college uses first class mail and the City of Crystal Lake sends certified letters…for each separate request.

Four more of Crystal Lake’s certified letters arrived today.

$5.42 postage on each.

I guess Mayor Aaron Shepley’s 75% city sales tax hike is bringing enough money that small economies are unnecessary.

I wrote last week of the difference between the Crystal Lake Park District’s, McHenry County College’s and Crystal Lake’s methods of notifying me about the status of Freedom of Information requests.

The park district calls, the junior college uses first class mail and the City of Crystal Lake sends certified letters…for each separate request.

Four more of Crystal Lake’s certified letters arrived today.

$5.42 postage on each.

I guess Mayor Aaron Shepley’s 75% city sales tax hike is bringing enough money that small economies are unnecessary.

Every time I file a Freedom of Information request with the City of Crystal Lake, I get at least one Certified letter.

Two, if city officials ask for a delay, as they did with three of my recent requests.

$5.32 times 3.

I’m sure the taxpayers of Crystal Lake will be happy to know they have money to burn.

The Crystal Lake Park District just called me on the phone to tell its Freedom of Information response was ready to be picked up.

Every time I file a Freedom of Information request with the City of Crystal Lake, I get at least one Certified letter.

Two, if city officials ask for a delay, as they did with three of my recent requests.

$5.32 times 3.

I’m sure the taxpayers of Crystal Lake will be happy to know they have money to burn.

The Crystal Lake Park District just called me on the phone to tell its Freedom of Information response was ready to be picked up.