RE: privileged information

[Barry Ramsay <barry_ramsay@d8.com>]

Dear Escape & Vision2020,

Before we spend thousands of dollars suing ourselves (remember we as
county residents pay for the County to defend itself) why don't we ask
Loreca Stauber what's going on.  Loreca has always been helpful before
and I'm sure she understands the issues.  She should be able to get us
the public information we already own.

Barry Ramsay
Potlatch

	-----Original Message-----
	From:	escape@alt-escape.com [SMTP:escape@alt-escape.com]
	Sent:	Tuesday, December 08, 1998 1:08 PM
	To:	vision2020@moscow.com
	Subject:	Re: privileged information

	At 08:43 AM 12/8/98 PST, you wrote:

	>The funny part is that we won't be able to read that decision.
It has 
	>been labelled "attorney-client privelege."
	>
	>How can this be? Both the attorney and the client are hired by
the 
	>people of Latah County.  The decision relates directly to the
people's 
	>business.  What kind of privilege is this protecting?

	In this case, I would contact the state Attorney General and
file a
	complaint, and possibly sue under the Freedom of Information
Act.  Bill
	Clinton had no attorney/client privilage concerning his publicly
paid
	lawyers, and neither should our local officials.

	There was a similar case in Pullman a while back, where the city
tried to
	trade an old school building for a few acres of land.  Values of
the
	properties were appraised, but the city also claimed "privileged
	information" for the appraisals.  As I recall, a threatened or
actual
	lawsuit forced release of the documents (because if it's paid
for by the
	public, it's public property).  The building/land swap was
reversed.