Wyoming Judge rules schoold district employee names and salaries are a public record

Private Investigator News:
"The Wyoming Tribune Eagle filed suit against the school district after it was denied access to the information.
CHEYENNE -- District Court Judge Michael Davis ruled in favor of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on Friday, making the names of all Laramie County School District 1 employees and their salaries public record.

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle requested access to the records last December. But John Lyttle, LCSD1's assistant superintendent of human resources, denied the request.

Lyttle cited the Wyoming Education Code, which requires the district to publish salaries only by category. The statute states that no other identifying information could be disclosed, he said.

The court disagreed."
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Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California Governor calls for public salaries to be put online

More sunlight may shine across California for taxpayers and open government proponents -- perhaps a little too late for the residents of Bell.

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger challenged California's cities Thursday to post public officials' salaries on websites.

If they have nothing to hide.

"Put the information on the website so people don't even have to call," Schwarzenegger said in a budget speech to the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The Republican governor said Californians have been asking for compensation information after revelations that the Southern California city of Bell paid three of its top administrators a total of $1.6 million a year."
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Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Kern County considers Public Records Act request to release pension pay and names

"The Kern County Employees' Retirement Association, the agency that invests taxpayer money to fund county employee pensions, has kept the size of each member's retirement check a secret for years.

But the legal argument KCERA lawyers say demands secrecy is crumbling in courts across California, forcing them to choose between angering retirees and clinging to a law that may not stand up in court.

On Wednesday The Californian asked the retirement association to release the size of each county retiree's monthly pension check and other related data as part of its ongoing look at how skyrocketing benefit costs are hitting county coffers. A Sacramento County court had just ruled taxpayers have a right to that information."
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Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Sacramento County judge rules public has a right to know about county workers' pensions

"A Sacramento Superior Court judge this week ruled that Sacramento County's retirement system can't keep information about government workers' pensions from the public.

The Sacramento Bee and First Amendment Coalition had sued the Sacramento County Employees' Retirement System for pension information including the names of retirees and how much they're getting."  
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Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Connecticut Checkbook and employee salaries to go online

"With Gov. M. Jodi Rell's signature over the weekend, a new law will put a searchable database of the state's checkbook and employee payroll online for public review next year.

But some lawmakers are asking, why stop there? Why not put everything online: applications, payments for services, regulations, anything the public needs?

Some state agencies do provide online services, but availability isn't consistent and quality is spotty, said Sen. John A. Kissel, R-Enfield.

"I'm not saying Connecticut doesn't have a lot of this already. I am saying though, it's not sufficient and it's a roll of the dice what is available from agency to agency," he said. "Rather than doing this piecemeal, let's do it right."

He's proposing establishment of a uniform statewide online "e-government" plan that will give residents access to state government over the Internet."  
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Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Orange County Court to determine release of retiree names and pension data

"For nearly a year, the Orange County Employees Retirement System has refused to release the names of retirees collecting at least $100,000 annually.   Requests from The Orange County Register under the California Public Records Act have been repeatedly denied.

On Thursday, the California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility is coming to Orange County Superior Court seeking a court order to force release of the data. The odds — and the law — are on the group’s side, as judges in Contra Costa and Stanislaus counties have ruled that such information is public."

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Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator