Wednesday, October 31, 2007

W.I.P.

While attending to some chores up front this morning, I noticed a WFEC bucket truck speed by heading south on Will Lee Road around 8:10 am. Just as the truck passed me, I heard it skid to a stop just out of view behind some trees. I don't know if they locked the brakes on not, but I heard a breaking skid on the dirt road. The truck then slowly moved up to the utility pole where they had installed the additional transformer yesterday. Earlier this morning I had checked their previous day's work on the pole and I noticed that they didn't run the drop line from the newly installed transformer to the trailor, but rather had connected a line from it to the original transformer. Apparently this new transformer, which they installed above the original on the same utility pole, is a step-up or booster transformer to accomodate the additional energy requirements of two residences. I'm surprised they hadn't installed it earlier. The truck, however, didn't stop, but instead made a U-Turn and sped north back in the direction that they had come.

Around 8:35 am, the same truck returned, but this time stopped at the pole. The driver and his assistant got out, the driver got in the bucket, and raised the bucket to the transformers. I saw him put on the heavy utility gloves and he also had a pole to disconnect the line, then make some quick adjustments, but I didn't see everything because of the angle and distance. I then watched as he drew back and appeared to "contemplate" the pole. After about 5 minutes, I got tired of watching and left. When I returned a short time later around 8:55 am, they had left. I hope that they finished whatever it was that they were doing. It certainly turned into a project. Well, at least, WFEC's CEO & VP wasn't supervising this time.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Transformers

A short time ago I witnessed a curious incident. I had walked up front about 11:45 am (Central) to check on some irrigation, when I observed a WFEC truck with boom bucket back up to their utility pole in front of my neighbors. The driver and his assistant were the only ones in the truck. The driver got into the bucket, which was raised up to the transformer, and I saw him remove something from it. When the bucket was lowered to the ground, the driver and his helper then made a big production about something. They had a new transformer, which was thinner and longer than the one on the pole, and I watched them raise it with the bucket. I figured that they were “upgrading” transformers, but I was mistaken. They installed this new transformer on the same pole to service the mobile home across the street, which had been serviced by the existing transformer. However, they didn’t remove the existing one. I was surprised that the utility hadn’t installed an additional transformer when they first ran an electric line to the new mobile home a few months back. At any rate, there’s now two transformers serving both residences. Also, my neighbors’ dogs weren’t around as usual to bark at the utility workers and their truck. Well, it’s about time that WFEC supplied better service to their customers by installing another transformer. I’m surprised that they hadn’t done so earlier.

I still haven’t received a reply to my Jacksonville FBI complaint or FOIA. It’s easy to substantiate my charges, just check the FDLE’s and area Sheriff Departments’ serial numbered inventory for unaccounted bugs and tracking devices. However, “they” make it difficult to prove. For example, I took Bill (I have a loofah and I’m not afraid to use it) O’Reilly’s challenge regarding if you were subject to privacy abuse. Bill was bloviating (sp?) through his O’Tuckus when he said that he didn’t have one case of such abuse. At any rate, Bill took my call, said that “we’ve got one,” cut me off while I was trying to say that there were “no checks and balances,” and connected me to one of his producers, who took my phone number and email address. Realize that I had not sent any evidence of my charges to O’Reilly. When I didn’t hear from his producer after two weeks, I figured that they killed the story.

O’Reilly is not only smart, but very smart. Some of his “librul” critics are calling him “nuts.” He’s not “nuts,” but probably does have some reason to be paranoid. I don’t listen to him regularly, so one day I was amused to hear him admit that he had “ONLY ONE” such surveillance abuse victim, but that the victim was a “REAL LOSER” and in “LITIGATION.” If O’Reilly was referring to me, I’ll concede the “LOSER” point, but disagree with the in litigation one. They don’t let you litigate these things. Incidentally, the power was cut to the residence a short time ago- about 1:20 p.m.- and then shortly came back on. Hmmm, I wonder what that was about? My only question is- if Bill was referring to me: Why are all these law enforcement "winners" so interested in surveilling a loser?

Joe

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Freedom of Information Appeal

The USPS verified delivery of my Freedom of Information Appeal (Label Number: EB 390615961 US) at 11:01 am this morning to the Director, Office of Information and Privacy, US DOJ. I had filed two FOIAs, one with the Jacksonville FBI office and the other with FBI HQ, requesting all agency records related to me, including my complaint charging the FDLE and Holmes County Sheriff's Department with illegal electronic surveillane and harassment. FBI HQ replied to my FOIA within the statutory period indicating that they had no records. However, the Jacksonville FBI office still hadn't even acknowledged my FOIA, so I phoned the Special Agent in Charge to inquire about its status. His secretary referred me to the person who handled FOIAs. This individual said that he would look for it and forward it FBI HQ in DC, which in turn would then either call or email him authority to provide the records. On Oct. 5, 2007 the Jacksonville FBI FOIA manager left a message that he found my FOIA, forwarded it via Express Mail on Oct. 4, 2007 to FBI HQ, and that HQ would reply to me directly. When I still hadn't received a reply by Oct. 24, 2007 from FBI HQ, I filed an FOI Appeal treating the agency's failure to meet the FOIA's deadlines as a denial of my request. Any agency has 20 working days from receipt to make an initial determination of whether to comply with the FOIA and an additional ten working days is permitted in "unusual circumstances." It has been two months since the USPS verified delivery of my FOIA by the Jacksonville FBI office.

When I initially mailed both FOIAs, one to Jacksonville and the other to FBI HQ, USPS Track & Confirm indicated that both letters had been scanned twice: once upon receipt in the morning and then a second time in the afternoon. I've never seen this before, so I inquired as to how this could happen. The USPS didn't have any explanation. I suspect, although I can't prove it, that these letters were tampered with and that possibly accounted for the Jacksonville FBI office's delay in responding to my FOIA request within the statutory period.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Freedom of Information Privacy Act (FOIPA) Requests

In August, I filed two FOIPA requests with the FBI. I filed one with FBI HQ and one with the Jacksonville, FL, Field Office. The USPS verified delivery of both. FBI HQ acknowledged theirs and assigned Request No.: 1091663-000 to it. Today I received FBI HQ's response: "No records responsive to your FOIPA request were located by a search of the automated and manual indices. If you desire a search of the Field Office files, you must contact the appropriate Field Office." David M. Hardy, Section Chief, Record/Information Dissemination Section Records Management Division signed the response. Mr. Hardy's letter was dated Sept. 21, 2007, postmarked Sept. 28, 2007, and received today, Oct. 3, 2007.

Unfortunately, Jacksonville FBI still hasn't even acknowledged my FOIPA request never mind responded to it. For that matter, the Jacksonville FBI Field Office hasn't responded to my inquiries regarding my FOIPA request, either.

I guess my earlier complaint regarding illegal electronic surveillance by FL law enforcement that I filed with the Jacksonville FBI Field Office is so secret that I'm not even supposed to know about it.