Yesterday news agencies around Georgia (but not the paper of record, the AJC! Why would they report on it?) reported that the state archives will be closed to the public effective November 1st.
Not only is this infuriating, but it also flies in the face of democracy. Dr. Todd Groce of the Georgia Historical Association stated in an interview with Savannah's WSAV
He says the significance of the State Archives is that its existence is rooted in state law, created about 100 years ago by the Georgia legislature for the "purpose of preserving documents generated by the state of Georgia, including leaders such as the governor and then to make those records accessible to the public."
The Georgia archives are the repository for government records as well as a wealth of historical documents. Political operatives, activists, historians, attorneys, genealogists, and students all depend on the archive.
On the VERY DAY this announcement WSB-TV in Atlanta ran this story about the new proposed stadium for the Atlanta Falcons. The current stadium, the Georgia Dome, is around twenty years. The price tag on the stadium is $1.2 billion dollars. The state of Georgia and city of Atlanta taxpayers would be expected to pay at least 1/3 of the cost.
That's right. In a state where libraries hours have been slashed (the one near me is only open four days a week), teachers and police officers must take mandatory unpaid furlough days, and we can't even keep the archives (hardly a large money drain) open, Georgia government officials feel it can fork over at least 350 million dollars to build a new sports stadium.
Who needs Freedom of Information Act compliance as long as you have football?