U.S. MINT HAMPERS RELEASE OF IMPORTANT RECORDS by Michael Ravnitzky, [EMAIL PROTECTED] As of the beginning of August, the U.S. Bureau of the Mint, has thus far failed to respond to several Freedom of Information Act requests filed in December, January, February and early March. The majority of these requests relate to the new one-dollar coin project undertaken by the Mint. The FOIA Office at the Mint is run by the Bureau's Executive Secretariat office. The Mint is a part of the Treasury Department. Informal and formal inquiries with the Treasury Department's FOIA Office failed to provide an explanation for the delay in response. Informal inquiries with the Bureau of the Mint's Public Affairs Office similarly failed to provide any explanation for the lengthy delay. Inquiries to the Department of Justice FOIA Ombudsman, Ms. Gayla Sessoms, have similarly not been very fruitful to date. Among the records requested were: Final Technical Report for the new one dollar coin; DENIED IN FULL, even the title page Final Engineering Report for the new one dollar coin; DENIED IN FULL, even the title page Final Metallurgical Study for the new one dollar coin; DENIED IN FULL, even the title page Final Design Study for the new one dollar coin; DENIED IN FULL, even the title page Engineering, metallurgy or design status reports for the one dollar coin; DENIED IN FULL, even title pages The Marketing Plan for the new one dollar coin; RELUCTANTLY PROVIDED AFTER MANY MONTHS OF DELAY FOR ALL THE REST THERE HAS BEEN NO REPLY WHATSOEVER All records about the purchase of special manganese alloys for production of the new one dollar coin; Strategic planning documents pertaining to marketing of the new one dollar coin; All records at the Mint's Office of Financial Planning, Analysis and Review about value engineering or cost overruns on the new one dollar coin; Marketing Budget for the new one dollar coin; E-Mail to and from Mr. Greg Weinman, acting dollar coin marketing manager, concerning the marketing of the new one dollar coin; E-mail to and from Mr. Greg Weinman concerning metallurgy or metallurgical factors for the new one dollar coin; Business agreements and contracts between commercial entities and the Mint concerning marketing of the new one dollar coin, specifically those contracts and agreements that concern marketing of the likeness of the coin or placement of the coins in commercial products or placement on apparel and other such items; A copy of all correspondence between the Mint and Hallmark, Post Cereals, The Henson company, Wal-Mart and Macy's, from January 1, 1998 to the present; All E-mail to and from Ms. Kathleen Saunders-Mitchell at the Bureau of the Mint's FOIA Office from December 5, 1999 to the present; A copy of all records at the Mint FOIA Office, including notes, memos, telephone message slips, letters, e-mail, etc. associated with or mentioning FOIA requests by Michael Ravnitzky; A copy of all contracts between the U.S. Mint and Oxford Associates, Bethesda, Md. during the past three years; A copy of the final report or reports supplied by Oxford Associates; A copy of all contracts between the Mint and Double Eagle Market Development Company, Long Beach, California during the past three years; A copy of any reports submitted by Double Eagle Market Development to the Mint during the past three years. A copy of any correspondence, memos or email between Oxford Associates and the U.S. Mint during the last three years. A copy of any correspondence, memos or email between Double Eagle Market Development and the U.S. Mint during the last three years; A copy of Double Eagle's contract proposal to market the new one dollar coin; A copy of the contract proposal from Oxford Associates to study the new one dollar coin; A copy of the contract statement of work for each contract with Double Eagle and/or Oxford Associates; A copy of the contract data deliverables list for each contract with Double Eagle or Oxford Associates; A copy of any records pertaining to cost overruns associated with contracts to Double Eagle or Oxford. A copy of any correspondence, memos, letters or email between Mint HQ and the Philadelphia Mint concerning development, marketing, production, or strategic planning for the new one dollar coin, specifically those to and from these Philadelphia employees and offices: Etienne Kunderawicz and/or the Office of Superintendent; William G. Toal and/or the Coining Division, John McGraw and/or the Production Department; Al Diament and/or the Die Manufacturing Division; James Smith and/or the Numismatic Division; the Quality and Technical Support Division; A copy of any correspondence, memos, letters or email between Mint HQ and the Denver Mint concerning development, marketing, production or strategic planning for the new one dollar coin, specifically to these Denver employees and offices: Raymond J. DeBrokert and/or the Office of Superintendent, Ray G. Meadows, Judith Groshek and/or the Production Department; Randy Johnson and/or the Coining Division; Joe F. Lopez and/or the Quality and Technical Support Division; A copy of the complete FOIA Appeal File associated with a request from Marion Edwyn Harrison Esq. for records concerning Ms. Glenna Goodacre and the Sacagawea design of the new one dollar coin, FOIA No. 199990063; Contracts, reports, and correspondence between the Mint and Fleischman-Hillard, Inc., and memos at the Mint relating to these consulting contracts; The cover page of each Research and Development memo/report issued by the Production Research and Development Office of the Mint's Circulating Strategic Business Unit, for the last three years; The most recent two monthly reports to the Federal Reserve from the Mint Circulating Strategic Business Unit via the Federal Reserve Liaison Staff Chief; The most recent Strategic Plan for the Circulating Strategic Business Unit of the Mint; the most recent Strategic Plan for the Numismatic Strategic Business Unit of the Mint; The Washington Quarter attrition report for the most recent year; The report identifying State of the Technology at other National Mints; A copy of the Master Production Schedule; A copy of the circulating Commemorative quarter business plan; A copy of the most recent two Federal Reserve Bank Customer Satisfaction Surveys; A copy of any letters to private coinage houses expressing legal concern over the use of the copyright protected likeness of the obverse/front of the new one dollar coin. ========================================================================== If you are interested in requesting these or other records from the United States Mint, you can use the following form letter, or use your own letter format, and send a request letter to the following address: Pauline Williams Executive Secretariat United States Mint 8th floor 801 9th Street N.W. Washington, DC 20220 Dear Ms. Williams: We hereby request the following records under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act: __________________________________________ We agree to pay reasonable fees associated with this request up to $50 if necessary. We understand that we need not send any payment until and unless you notify us of any specific fee associated with this request. Please place this request into the proper fee category. Sincerely, ____________________ <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
