Greetings,
I am a fellow researcher that paid more than $30,000 last year in Federal
taxes alone. What did I get for it? Not as much as it cost that is for
sure.
Why can't NARA automate and place their data and forms on-line the same way
the IRS has all of the tax forms online to download for free? It should
only cost a few pennies or so for us to perform our own searches on a wisely
designed NARA web site. NARA could reasonable be expected to make a
significant PROFIT by simple charging pennies per sheet if this information
was made available via the Internet. $17 is outrageous!
I urge all of my fellow researchers to oppose the NARA rate increases by
creating a message to your own Congressional representatives (look under
www.senate.gov or
www.house.gov to find their email addresses.
Enclosed, below is my sample response addressed to NARA, my representatives,
a local newspaper, the White House, and even the Governor of my state
opposing the direction (higher fees and more paperwork) that NARA is
proposing. Please pass this message on to fellow researchers.
----- Original Message -----
To: <comments(a)nara.gov>
Cc: <senator(a)robb.senate.gov>; <senator(a)warner.senate.gov>;
<GovenorsOffice(a)gov.state.va.us>; <ombudsman(a)washpost.com>;
<vice-president(a)whitehouse.gov>; <president(a)whitehouse.gov>;
<RWR-Editors(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Monday, May 15, 2000 8:44 PM
Subject: NARA Reproduction Fee Schedule
Dear Representatives and NARA Officials,
This message is to express that the newly proposed fees to be collected by
NARA is wrong headed. NARA has recently proposed to revise its
schedule of fees for reproduction of records and other materials in the
custody of the Archivist of the
United States. This proposed rule covers production of Federal records
created by other agencies that are in the National Archives of the
United States, donated historical materials, Presidential records, Nixon
Presidential historical materials, certain Federal agency records in
NARA Federal records centers, and records filed with the Office of the
Federal Register. According the NARA the fees are being changed to reflect
current costs of providing the reproductions. This rule will affect members
of the public and Federal agencies who order reproductions from NARA.
It is clear that NARA is heading in the wrong direction with regards to the
manner in which it conducts business. Instead of seeking to
continue doing more business at higher fees, via the same old paper filled
process, NARA should be rapidly moving to online (Internet) web based
customer shopping and lower fees. The Internal Revenue Service web site has
provided an
outstanding example of how to disseminate government held information at
zero or significantly reduced costs. The Congress should appoint a
special investigative committee to learn why NARA cannot follow the
footsteps of dozens of other Federal agencies and private industry by
lowering the costs of information retrieved electronically via the Internet.
This new NARA proposal is little more than mismanagement in a
modern era where information is rapidly becoming a cheap commodity. Higher
taxes and/or higher fees are not the correct operational solutions for the
new century. Efficient management, reduced cost, and easy access is where
NARA and the Federal government must head.
Sincerely,
Add your own Name and Postal Address Here or Your Congressmen will not
respond!