Thanks to Badger for digging this up. She comments on a Must Read at Global News:
Global News, has an updated story on the rising US expatriation figures – and this is by the author Patrick Cain who compares the numbers in the Federal Register ‘name and shame’ list to the FBI numbers for those – (see specific category for ex-citizens) precluded from owning firearms.
http://globalnews.ca/news/1072303/over-3100-americans-renounced-citizenship-last-year-fbi/
January 10, 2014 9:30 am
More than 3,100 Americans renounced citizenship last year: FBI
By Patrick Cain
Cain references and links to the letter by constitutional lawyer Peter Hogg to the Finance Minister re his concerns about the serious issues with signing a FATCA IGA, and also notes yesterday’s release of Nina Olson IRS Taxpayer Advocate 2013 Report to Congress. The author provide a link to the report, and quotes the TAS: “……On Thursday, a report released by the U.S. National Taxpayer Advocate strongly criticized FATCA in a report to Congress, saying the costs exceed projected revenue, the law creates sovereigntyconflicts with other countries – using Canada as an example – and the IRS’s computer systems aren’t ready to handle such a complex project.
“[The] IRS has not acted upon advice it has received from some well-informed stakeholders,” Nina Olsen warned in the report. “FATCA carries with it the potential for substantial resource burdens and significant due process concerns.””
@Shadow Raider:
The website, Muckrock, lists statistics regarding FOIA processing that they have submitted:
Stats & Figures:
11,565 requests filed
3,161 requests successfully complete
855 requests denied
Note the high number of open requests.
https://www.muckrock.com/
In the linked podcast “FOIA by Numbers”, an analyst notes that only 42% of FOIA requests that Muckrock submitted to the US Federal government of a sample of 907 were completed on-time (within 20 business days) and 5% were ignored for over one year.
https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2014/jan/28/foia-numbers/
(If you listen to the podcast, suggest starting at 2:30).
Although the use of a commercial service to submit FOIA could increase the likelihood of a timely response, generally it seems that the various US Federal government departments follow their own agenda about if or when to respond.
@Shadow Raider:
“Shadow Raider says
January 11, 2014 at 6:58 pm
I have made 4 FOIA requests. Here is a summary of what happened so far:
1. In May 2013, I sent a FOIA request to the Department of State asking for the number of CLNs. I have not received a response yet.”
According to the State Dept.’s FOIA log, an FOIA request, F-2013-07747, for annual totals of CLNs since 2000, submitted on May 8, 2013, was still “Open” at April 16, 2014. See p. 137:
http://foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/5-FY2014/F-2013-17945/DOC_0C05494608/C05494608.pdf
Obviously, since more than six months have passed since the State Department updated its log, this status information may no longer be current.
on FOIA delays:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2015/01/14/internal-pentagon-information-can-be-yours-if-youre-not-in-a-hurry/?tid=HP_federal?tid=HP_federal
The “Center for Effective Government” gave the State Department an “F” for its responsiveness to FOIA queries. State received the lowest overall score of 37% of all 15 agencies measured and the lowest score for the categories “Processing Requests” and “Disclosure Rules”:
http://www.foreffectivegov.org/access-to-information-scorecard-2015
None of this should surprise IBS readers who have seen the delays in obtaining renunciation data.
Just one more item:
“My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration.”
—President Barack Obama, January 21, 2009
Also (maybe a bit off topic) the DC Circuit just broadened the definition of “representative of the news media” entitled to waivers of FOIA document search & review fees (i.e. the only fees they can charge you are duplication fees)
http://www.law360.com/articles/695098/dc-circ-tells-ftc-to-widen-definition-of-media-under-foia
http://www.hklaw.com/publications/dc-circuit-clarifies-public-interest-and-news-media-fee-waivers-under-foia-08-26-2015/
Opinion:
https://web.archive.org/web/20150827074101/http://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/opinions.nsf/EF1DE205B4E1264685257EAC004EF78C/$file/13-5335-1569545.pdf