Well, dear reader, there you have it, my book Corruption in the Commonwealth. It consists of several different features, a series of lawsuits based on the difficulty of getting state agencies, including the Governor, the Supreme Court, the Attorney General, and the Comptroller/Department of Accounts, to answer requests for documents under the Freedom of Information of Information Act, or FOIA.
As a citizen of Virginia, I am entitled to request this information, as you are. and although many functionaries in state government pay lip service to transparency and open government, when you start asking for invoices, and bills, and records of court proceedings, one is left with the unmistakable feeling that they have circled the wagons and are doing everything in their power to keep me, and therefore you, and all of us who constitute “the public,” from finding out just how our tax dollars are being spent.
I heartily encourage you to follow my lead and make your own inquiries, trace out a few lines of questioning, and see what you come up with. I will help you in any way that I can, as I will appreciate any help that you can give me. At issue is nothing less than the feelings we have about our state, and whether or not we are getting a fair shake on how our tax dollars are being spent.
I did not go to Law School, but I have learned a lot of law in my whistle-blower searches, and I am overall very optimistic not only that we can bring improvement to our state government, but also that my efforts, and the cash reward that they will bring me, will serve as an example of how to engage the public and create an all-around better environment for us all to live in.
Join me in my work, come see me at my foundry, and most important of all, take an interest in our state’s finances.
Yours,
William H. Turner