The Public Access Project
Opening Government In The Public Interest
Note Change of Address
May 1, 2004
806 Fair Oaks Avenue
Oak Park,
Illinois
60302-1547
Telephone: (708) 386-1122
Facsimile: (708) 383-2987
E-mail: rmeans@richardmeans.com
Send E-mail to
The Public Access Project. 
Capsule Description of Public Access
The Public Access Project is a not-for-profit civic association created to enhance public empowerment in state
and local government in Illinois by pressing governmental officials to obey both the letter and spirit of laws
requiring open government. Citizen knowledge is truly citizen power, best maximized by expanding the effectiveness
of the state's adequate, but inadequately enforced, laws. Led by veteran government reformer and public interest
lawyer Richard K. Means, Public Access works toward this goal by filing Freedom of Information Act requests on
behalf of media and citizens and by utilizing computers and the Internet to collect, analyze, and broadly publish
the public information held by governments and the public disclosures made by lobbyists, office holders and candidates.
When patient and polite requests do not result in prompt and full disclosure, Public Access has both the resources
and the readiness to litigate to enforce the laws.
Public Access is a demonstration project in the use of low-cost computer technology for the gathering, analysis
and publication of government records in reports which are easily accessible, understandable and usable by both
news media and the public. Public Access is also a demonstration project showing that citizen action can leverage
media, public opinion and electoral action opening the processes of government and exposing the interests of those
who govern. Ultimately, our aim is to leverage or embarrass governmental officials into facilitating broader accessibility,
and even publication, of public information. Through alternating threats of litigation and offers of assistance,
some units of government are particularly induced by our gracious willingness to let them take the credit for reforming
themselves.
When numerous sources of public information are analyzed and compared, errors, inconsistencies and omissions
often are more informative about conflicts of interest, honesty and candor than are each source when considered
separately. As a not-for-profit civic organization, Public Access does not reach conclusions about the performance
in office or the fitness for office of any incumbent or aspiring office holder, it only exposes relevant information
for the public's and, more importantly, for the electorate's judgment.
Founding Principles
While each of the founding members of Public Access has differing views on which powers should be assumed and
which policies should be adopted by the various units of government which serve us, we are united in the beliefs
that:
- Government derives its legitimate authority only from the informed consent of the governed;
- The consent of the populace can only be informed through openness in governmental decision-making processes;
- How and with whose support governmental decision-makers gain and maintain office and the essential details
of how they perform in office requires persistent public scrutiny and public discussion; and that;
- Sunshine is the best disinfectant.
Current Issues
Better
Government Association publishes its Integrity Index
rating states on their laws guaranteeing public integrity; Illinois
finishes nearly last.
Chicago (and other) city
and village
ordinances
- Complying with Public Access' FOIA request, the City of Chicago
once agreed to make the City ordinances easily accessible to the public.
Now they refuse.
- 81 other Illinois municipalities have published their ordinances online,
click on this link for access.
Chicago
Tribune
State legislative staff managing
political campaigns while on State payroll
- The Fall 2000 Circuit Court of Cook County case of Public
Access v. (Senate President) Philip and (House Speaker) Madigan seeking
disclosure of the timesheets of the staffers was decided against us based on an unfortunately worded appellate
opinion. The defendants conceded and the Court agreed that we were entitled to the evidence of the practice we
alleged in a taxpayer suit for recovery of the stolen state funds but that we were not entitled to a public disclosure.
Click here for details on the
Circuit Court proceeding and to read the briefs.
- The taxpayer class action is in preparation.
- House Minority Leader Lee Daniels'
Chicago legislative staff is exposed as a campaign operation. A
disgruntled former employee gives Public Access 66 days of staff time
records for the Fall 2000 campaign showing which staffer served which
campaign on which day. The scandal causes Daniels to resign as
State Republican Party Chairman.
Click here for details.
- Lt. Governor
Corinne Wood turned her State office into a campaign organization to
purchase favors for her later run for Governor.
Click here for details.
- House Speaker Mike Madigan's
Springfield legislative staff is exposed as a campaign
operation. Public Access' analysis of travel
vouchers shows numerous Madigan staffers making 432 State-paid trips to
the districts of Democratic House
incumbents expecting closely contested races to set up campaigns which
they later left the State payroll to join.
Click here for details.
- House Speaker Mike Madigan spends
over $1/4 million in State funds on illegal staff bonuses, mostly for
political work.
Click here for details.
-
Illinois General Assembly live
on your computer screen
Campaign Finance
- On The Public i newsletter from the Center
For Public Integrity: Money
Talked All the Way to Voting Booth Eighty-five percent of U.S. Senate candidates
who raised more than their opponents won in November of 2000 and 94 percent of the U. S. House candidates who raised
more money than their opponents claimed victory, according to an analysis by The Public
i.
Most Recent (Fall 2000) Newsletter
- Current projects
- Future plans and priorities
- Past accomplishments
- Shameless appeal for contributions
HTML PDF
Many documents on this site will be best viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader. This excellent and easy to use software
is available for free download and unlimited use. Click
Here.
We are still under construction.
For greater details, click on these links:
The Public Access Project is computer-aided research, publishing and litigation making open government laws
work for the people of Illinois
Send E-mail to The Public
Access Project.
Public Access News
The Public Access News is a occasional newsletter. The house organ of The Public Access Project, Public Access
News chronicles the latest news related to openness in government issues and particularly details the on-going
activities of the Project. It is delivered by facsimile transmission to officers, directors, and funders of the
Project and to other prominent opinion makers prior to 9:00 a.m. the first business day of those (rare) weeks it
is published. The (text-based) Internet Edition is posted to the Public Access Web site HERE:
Chicago Government and Politics
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Federal Government and Politics
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Public Access Project.
Public Records - Studies of Public Records
Illinois Campaign Finance
Now with a search engine!
With funding from the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation, the Center For Public Integrity, the University of Illinois
- Springfield's Legislative Studies Center and the Campaign Finance Information Center of the Investigative Reporters
and Editors have published a campaign finance database on the Web which is far more useful than anything previously
available. The database covers calendar years 1995-1996 and includes both contributions and expenditures. In addition
the data includes information about proposed legislation during that term and lobbyists so that one may follow
the money trail from which one may reach "cause and effect" conclusions where warranted. This
consortium worked with thirteen news organizations statewide which have begun to publish reports based on this
data resulting in a true information explosion informing this citizens of Illinois on the relationship between
power and money in Illinois government. Some of the news stories are linked through this marvelous resource as
well.
The Money Trail
The Pioneer Press' Excellent Series on Campaign Finance In Illinois
Studies and proposed legislation to reform Illinois campaign finance.
Other State Campaign Finance Disclosure and Analyses
Federal Campaign Finance
The Fat Cat Hotel (Selling Off The White House Room By Room?)
Bill's Air Taxi Service (Selling Off Air Force One Seat By Seat?)
Is U.S. Government Policy For Sale?
Are Republican Policy Positions and Republican Congressional Votes For Sale?
Federal Campaign Finance Disclosures And Analyses
Where Are They Now?
A September 2, 1997 United States General Accounting Office Report
Illinois Lobbyist Registration
Updated in February, 1997, the Illinois Secretary of State has published a complete database of all state-registered
lobbyists. It does not have a search engine, but can be easily downloaded as a Microsoft Word 6.0, Word Perfect
5.1 for MS DOS, or text file.
Illinois Registered Lobbyist List.
School Finance
February 5, 1997 General Accounting Office study shows that Illinois falls far behind most other states in redressing
the school funding inequities between poor and wealthy districts. Illinois stands out as one of only five states
in the country which had, at that time failed to improve funding inequities for the previous five years.
The effect of the recent Illinois legislation has yet to be measured. School Finance: State Efforts to Reduce Funding Gaps Between Poor and Wealthy Districts.
Public Procurement
General Accounting Office Report on Occupational
Safety and Health:
Violations of Safety and Health Regulations
by Federal Contractors (August 23, 1996).
Freedom of Information
Public Access' Collection of Lists of Types and Categories of Public Records
Available From Illinois Public Bodies.
Practical Uses of Lists of Available Public Documents.
Status of Agency Compliance With Public Access Requests.
The public records which Public Access acquires and publishes will be determined by our
Officers and Operating Board with advice from both our Advisory Board and from members of the public. Any member
of the public is invited to suggest public record data which has been hidden, is otherwise obscure, and the publication
of which is in the broad public interest.
Send E-mail to The Public
Access Project.
Links to Other Web Sites
The listing of a site below does not imply that we are associated with that site's sponsor, that we agree
with any views expressed therein, or that, in any way, we vouch for the accuracy of any information contained therein.
Index to Links
Public Disclosure - Openness in Government Resources
A scholarly and thoroughly researched 20 page primer on rights to access. An excellent first stop for any legal
researcher by the new Dean of the Chicago-Kent School of Law, Henry H. Perritt, Jr. Originally published in the
William & Mary Bill of Rights Law Journal.
Government Resources
Legal Resources
Not-For-Profit Organization Resources
Internet Resources
News
Miscellaneous Resources
For law and politics-related links, go to
Richard K. Means, Attorney at Law, Web Site.
We will be particularly appreciative of reports of malfunctioning links, miscategorized entries, and suggestions
for useful links to other resources.
Send E-mail to The Public
Access Project.
The lower portions of this page were last substantially updated February 25, 1998.
