Strengthen FOIL to cut corruption

No doubt the Herculean efforts of U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara and other investigative and prosecutorial bodies give us hope, but the scales are not tipped in the public's favor. Just a small number of law enforcement agencies, oversight groups, and time-strapped investigators were never intended to be the sole solution to corruption. Attentive New Yorkers can use FOIL to send a clear message to our state's 3,400-plus government entities: I'm a citizen. The net effect is less access, and a chilling effect on citizen action. For an administration whose economic development strategy centers on large spending projects that convert taxpayers into de facto tech investors, the investors deserve a prospectus. Awarding attorney fees to plaintiffs when a judge finds no reasonable cause to deny access to records would make an important statement and empower the public. New Yorkers' requests for information should not be held hostage by substantial fees, or excessive wait times, used by a government office intent on skirting the law.