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Editorial: Air Boats and the Golden Rule
February 2nd, 2004

Editorial: A Year of Opportunity
January 24th, 2004

Editorial: Sports on TV
January 15th, 2004

Editorial: Mad Cow Disease in the US
December 26th, 2003

Editorial: Jeb`s Water War
November 25th, 2003

Editorial: Citizen Input Needed
October 27th, 2003

Editorial: Congrats to Our Commission, Now We Must Help
October 17th, 2003

Editorial: Remember Owens Valley
September 29th, 2003

Editorial: Gold Plating Reality, Reconstruction Chic
September 21st, 2003

Editorial: The Responsiblities of a Journalist
August 27th, 2003

Editorial: A Fable: The Great Guano Concord
July 24th, 2003

Editorial: Music for Children
May 26th, 2003

Editorial: Speak Out
May 15th, 2003

Editorial: Parking: Our Biggest Problem?
May 2nd, 2003

Editorial: Vote and Vote Well
April 22nd, 2003

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Access to Public Records

Access to Public Records

Editorial

The Freedom of Information Act and the Florida Sunshine Law are federal and state laws that encourage oversight of government officials by the public. The City of Cedar Key set an excellent example of making public records available to the public when the Commission put its minutes and other documents online via Cedar Key News. Citizens have the right to know if government officials are doing the job, well and legally. That goes for the State Attorney and his staff.


The Levy County office of the State Attorney is under the State Attorney based in Gainesville. The record, successes and failures to convict those reported by the sheriff and police, will help voters decide if the State Attorney and his staff are getting the job done.


In response to a rumor that felony cases in Levy County have not been effectively prosecuted, Cedar Key News requested information from the State Attorney's office. Five months have passed. Several telephone calls and e-mail requests have served as reminders, without a single piece of information being provided. Cedar Key News asked for the number of felonies reported by police agencies, the number of reports acted upon by the State Attorney and the outcomes of all cases. What could be simpler? The number of cases, and did anyone get convicted?


Now there is a new man in charge of the Levy County office of the State Attorney. The former man in charge is said to be running for a seat on the bench. The purpose of this editorial is to shake loose information that will aid voters in choosing the next State Attorney, and decide who deserves to be a judge. We will publish the records when we get them.

(Editor`s Note: as of this date the requested information has not been received)

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