Welcome to the Government Attic--where librarians can browse

". . . http://governmentattic.org  provides electronic copies of thousands of interesting Federal Government documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Fascinating historical documents, reports on items in the news, oddities and fun stuff and government bloopers, they're all here. Think of browsing this site as rummaging through the Government's Attic -- hence our name."

Image on each document: "The governmentattic.org web site (“the site”) is noncommercial and free to the public. The site and materials made available on the site, such as this file, are for reference only. The governmentattic.org web site and its principals have made every effort to make this information as complete and as accurate as possible, however, there may be mistakes and omissions, both typographical and in content. The governmentattic.org web site and its principals shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused, or alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by the information provided on the governmentattic.org web site or in this file. The public records published on the site were obtained from government agencies using proper legal channels. Each document is identified as to the source. Any concerns about the contents of the site should be directed to the agency originating the document in question. GovernmentAttic.org is not responsible for the contents of documents published on the website."

Can't decide if it's like an attic in a haunted house or a trash dump in DC. One document I read was from 1980 reporting on an incident from the Census of 1950 whereby two people from the White House tried to get a census tract when the White House was being remodeled and they needed to move President Truman. Seemed to be based on personal recollections. One neighborhood was rejected because it had too many foreigners living there and the President was moved to Blair House. However, remember this was only 5 years after WWII and the beginning of the Korean War, and this was the president who ordered the A bombs.

Some documents I attempted to look at were hundreds of "blank pages," and others so redacted, they were impossible to read. I browsed scattered issues of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) employee newsletter, FERC Insider, 2016-2018 which had health tips on lowering blood pressure, where to travel on vacation, where the FERC choral group was performing, favorite restaurants in DC, the agency's Weight Watchers program, energy saving tips in winter 2016, computer tips on changing passwords and creating file folders, a security story about intercepting a group that had planned a protest against FERC (see something say something), FERC had a football club and a child care center so there were announcements for that, retirement announcements, and obituaries with all the names redacted. This agency was very intersectional with special interest groups for LGBTQ, Middle Eastern, Asian, Women, African American each promoting special lectures and events. Photography contests which included pet and flowers. And it was voted the best place to work. Who knew?

Because the FOIA request was apparently for specific issues, the last of the Obama years was Nov. 2016, no. 10 and the first of Trump years, June 2017, no.6 and it changed to a better resolution and color instead of B & W. Although the heads and managers changed with the party, the civil service and middle managers stayed.  One woman I recognized in all most all the issues, both administrations.  She usually wore the same outfit for photos.

A cemetery where your tax dollars are buried

Have you ever visited Cyber Cemetery in Texas? What an amazing place. It's where old government reports go to be forgotten and die.

There are some very interesting reports buried alive in this cemetery. And we paid for them. There's probably no greater waste of time and money than being appointed to a government task force. Before I realized that the report had to have been completed according to its charge or law, I looked for Obamacare (zero) and then tried Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (zero). There is a Citizens' Health Care Working Group Final Recommendations dated 2006 commissioned in 2005. Could be a blue print for the overblown, bloated Obamacare 2,300 page bill that no one in Congress read but passed in March 2010.

The 2001 Social Security Commission, a big issue for President Bush, has many buried reports in this cemetery. The 9/11 attacks sort of bumped that off the domestic agenda.

Then after browsing by date, I saw that there was only one report completed in 2009. Considering the number of programs, regulations, and committee reports railroaded through the Obama Administration I thought that a bit light, but perhaps the librarians are behind in their cataloging. Need some ARRA money, maybe.

That final report was the 2003 Prison Rape Elimination Act and because none of the links did anything but loop and lie, I went into the WaPo archives which announced it's final report. It seems that 60,500 (approximate number) men are raped in prison each year, some on very short mild sentences and very young, but who are so traumatized they don't report it. Happens in the homosexual community too, but again, most male on male rapes are not reported.

So it appears that something else needs to come out of the closet, gay violence. For every gay man who is harrassed, teased, or taunted as reported in the media, there must be hundreds who are physically and sexually assaulted by other gays with no consequences and no publicity.

Intelligence Community Legal Reference Book

Sometimes I can't help myself. Not only am I addicted to reference books, I swoon over serendipity in the stacks. Yesterday I pulled off Intelligence Community Legal Reference Book, 680+ pages of unclassified documents about CIA, Homeland Security, counterintelligence, Patriot Act, detainee treatment, how to share information about terrorists, and information sharing, etc. Another thing that overwhelms me--how much Obama has to learn, if this is just the unclassified, imagine what else he's trying to take in. No wonder he's tracking to the middle, with all the Clintonistas standing around him like that TV ad for cell phone support.

Don't laugh. Have you ever read the National Security Act of 1947? You know, you go through life thinking you read, write and speak American standard English. . . and then you read a government document.

"Notwithstanding any provision of law identified in section 904, the President may stay the imposition of an economic, cultural, diplomatic, or other sanction or related action by the United States Government concerning a foreign country, organization, or person when the President determines and reports to Congress in accordance with section 903 that to proceed without delay would seriously risk the compromise of an ongoing criminal investigation directly related to the related to the activities giving rise to the sanction. Any such stay shall be effective for a period of time specified by the President, which period may not exceed 120 days, unless such period is extended in accordance with section 902."