ACCG, IAPN and PNG Appeal FOIA Suit Decision

[Dave Welsh]

Collectors to Appeal Judge's Decision Condoning State Department Secrecy

http://www.accg.us/issues/news/accg-board-opts-for-foia-appeal/

http://tinyurl.com/y9rr3ov

[
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/prnewswire/2010/01/05/prnewswire201001051317PR_NEWS_USPR_____FL32541.html ]

On December 22, an appeal was filed at the United States District Court for
the District of Columbia on behalf of the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild
(ACCG), the International Association of Professional Numismatists and the
Professional Numismatists Guild. The appeal seeks to overturn Judge Richard
J. Leon's November 20th decision to uphold the State Department's (DOS)
repression of information about the process by which import restrictions
were placed on common collectable coins of Cypriot and Chinese types:

http://www.accg.us/issues/news/ACCG-Opinion.pdf

Ironically, the Judge's decision in this Freedom of Information Act lawsuit
came less than a month before President Obama's "Open Government" Progress
Report to the American People--where the President proclaims: "My
Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness
in government..."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ogi-progress-report-american-people.pdf

Likewise, in the month before Judge Leon's decision, Norm Eisen, special
counsel to the President for ethics and government reform promised
"Transparency like you've never seen before."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in a speech at Georgetown University on
December 14th said with regard to international development assistance,
"...We will pursue a rights-respecting approach to development-- consulting
with local communities, ensuring transparency, and midwife-ing accountable
institutions--so that our development activities act in concert with our
efforts to support democratic governance. That is the pressing challenge we
face in Afghanistan and Pakistan today."

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/12/133544.htm

Fifty years ago, in another address to an American university, Malcolm
Muggeridge defined humor as the disparity between human aspiration and human
performance. He likened human aspiration to a lofty cathedral spire and
human performance to the leering gargoyles at its base. Collectors might
ponder Muggeridge's observation as they have learned first-hand, through
their FOIA case against DOS, that transparent government still appears to be
a dream rather than a reality.

Advocates of private collecting seek the release of information that they
claim will confirm arbitrary and capricious actions within the U.S. State
Department. Through bilateral agreements with China and Cyprus, crafted by
the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in an atmosphere of extreme
secrecy, DOS imposed import restrictions on old coins that are commonly sold
in markets around the world.

The ACCG recognizes the President's hopes for transparency and demonstrates
this spirit by releasing the FOIA case documents on its website:

http://www.accg.us/issues/news/dos-filing-3-13-09

To obtain further information, go to:

http://www.accg.us/issues/news/accg-board-opts-for-foia-appeal/

...

Posted to the list by:

Dave Welsh

Unidroit-L Listowner

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unidroit-L

dwel...@cox.net

[Peter]

On Jan 5, 7:41 pm, "Dave Welsh" <dwels...@cox.net> wrote:

Broadly, it seems possible that for the sake of harmony with allies
and trading partners it is not possible to change the agreement. Even
so, it is hard to imagine that there is any reason why those affected
by the decision may not know the reason.f

I wonder if they have tried to find a way to ask the president,
directly?