Dear OSGeo friends,<div><br></div><div>As has been discussed earlier on this list, the Sierra Club's case against Orange County to try to open up county parcel basemap data under California data practices laws is heading to the CA Supreme Court. Bruce Joffe has drafted an Amicus Letter in support of the Sierra Club. I encourage the GIS professionals on this list to consider individual support of this effort and ask the Board to consider signing this letter as an organization.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Thank you,</div><div><br></div><div>David Bitner<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Bruce Joffe</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:GIS.Consultants@joffes.com">GIS.Consultants@joffes.com</a>></span><br>
Date: Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 10:22 PM<br>Subject: Request for your endorsement of GIS Amicus Letter re: Sierra Club v Orange County<br>To: <a href="mailto:apayne@wakegov.com">apayne@wakegov.com</a>, <a href="mailto:Bill.Moore@townofcary.org">Bill.Moore@townofcary.org</a>, <a href="mailto:bitner@dbspatial.com">bitner@dbspatial.com</a>, <a href="mailto:BrannJ@co.thurston.wa.us">BrannJ@co.thurston.wa.us</a>, <a href="mailto:bspatial@together.net">bspatial@together.net</a>, <a href="mailto:Chris.Woodward@state.co.us">Chris.Woodward@state.co.us</a>, <a href="mailto:chrisz@zwebdesign.com">chrisz@zwebdesign.com</a>, <a href="mailto:chuck.drinnan@ewam-associates.com">chuck.drinnan@ewam-associates.com</a>, <a href="mailto:Craig.Parada@sbcglobal.net">Craig.Parada@sbcglobal.net</a>, <a href="mailto:CWolff@dhs.ca.gov">CWolff@dhs.ca.gov</a>, <a href="mailto:DianaM@ci.fullerton.ca.us">DianaM@ci.fullerton.ca.us</a>, <a href="mailto:dmurray@ci.westminster.co.us">dmurray@ci.westminster.co.us</a>, <a href="mailto:etp@msi.ic.ucsb.edu">etp@msi.ic.ucsb.edu</a>, <a href="mailto:gis@onda.org">gis@onda.org</a>, <a href="mailto:haydee.dabritz@cdph.ca.gov">haydee.dabritz@cdph.ca.gov</a>, <a href="mailto:jsackett@selcnc.org">jsackett@selcnc.org</a>, <a href="mailto:jwhite5@stanford.edu">jwhite5@stanford.edu</a>, <a href="mailto:lar@calmail.berkeley.edu">lar@calmail.berkeley.edu</a>, <a href="mailto:lar@berkeley.edu">lar@berkeley.edu</a>, <a href="mailto:lblake@ksninc.com">lblake@ksninc.com</a>, <a href="mailto:sunburned.surveyor@redefinedhorizons.com">sunburned.surveyor@redefinedhorizons.com</a>, <a href="mailto:Leanne.Lestak@colorado.edu">Leanne.Lestak@colorado.edu</a>, <a href="mailto:leebenda@earthsystems.net">leebenda@earthsystems.net</a>, <a href="mailto:lilli@prev.org">lilli@prev.org</a><br>
<br><br>
<div>
Dear Friends,<br>
<u></u> <u></u>You have
been stalwart supporters, advocating for our principles on this important
issue of vital concern to our GIS community. I thank you for
sending me your pre-endorsement of this GIS Amicus Letter, and hope you
will now co-sign this version as an individual, and perhaps also
representing your own organization. <br><br>
<u></u> <u></u>You may
pass this request along to other potential supporters.<br>
Thank you,<br>
Bruce<br><br>
<br>
Dear Colleague,<br><br>
I'm sure you know that Sierra Club is in the final phase of contest
against Orange County for access to its GIS-compatible parcel
basemap. This case will determine the applicability of the CA
Public Records Act to GIS-based data. <br><br>
Although Orange County prevailed in the Trial Court, and again in the
Court of Appeals, the case has been accepted for final resolution by the
California Supreme Court. <br><br>
I count you among the overwhelming majority of GIS professionals who
support Sierra Club's lawsuit because you support unfettered access to
our governments' geodata. Now is your opportunity to influence the
outcome of the case by adding your name to the GIS Community Amicus
Letter (attached) that will be sent to the Court. The letter
explains several GIS technicalities to the Court and refutes
misinformation proffered by Orange County. A large preponderance of
signatures will help convince the Court that OC's arguments do not
represent the normal standard of GIS professional knowledge and
practice. <br><br>
Please send me an email indicating your endorsement of the Amicus Letter,
and I will add your name as a co-signer. <br>
<b>* You may co-sign as an
individual.</b> <br>
Please indicate your "title" and professional affiliation for
reference purposes. (The letter makes it clear that individuals'
signatures does not imply endorsement of their reference
organization.)<br><br>
<u>IN ADDITION<br>
</u>
<b>* Please encourage your
professional organizations to endorse</b> this Amicus Letter <b>as an
organization.</b> Organizational endorsement makes a big
impression!<br>
<b>* Please ask your employer to
endorse</b> as well, if appropriate.<br><br>
The Amicus Letter must be sent by <b>February 24</b>, so <b>please send
</b>me <b>your endorsement </b>as <b>soon</b> as you can.<br><br>
With Anticipatory Thanks,<br>
Bruce<br>
<hr>
<font color="#808080"><b><u></u> <u></u>Bruce
Joffe, GISP<br>
<u></u> <u></u>Organizer,
Open Data Consortium project<br>
<u></u> <u></u>c/o GIS
Consultants<br>
<u></u> <u></u>902 Rose
Ave.<br>
<u></u> <u></u>Piedmont,
CA 94611<br>
<u></u> <u></u><a href="tel:510-508-0213" value="+15105080213" target="_blank">510-508-0213</a>
<br>
<u></u> <u></u><a href="mailto:GIS.Consultants@joffes.com" target="_blank">GIS.Consultants@joffes.com</a><br>
<hr>
</b></font><br>
P.S. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION<br><br>
I have sent out Amicus endorsement requests before.
Previously:<br>
<b>83 </b>people and
organizations co-signed a GIS Amicus Letter asking the Supreme Court to
review this case ... and the Court agreed.<br>
<b>77 </b>people and
organizations co-signed a GIS Amicus Letter asking the Court of Appeal to
force Santa Clara County to provide its geodata under terms of the PRA
... and the Court agreed. <br>
<b>65 </b>people and
organizations co-signed a request to the CA Attorney General to determine
whether "Parcel boundary map data maintained by a county in
electronic format is subject to public inspection and copying under
provisions of the California Public Records Act." ... and the AG
concurred.<br><br>
Our Amicus Letter might be equally successful in informing the Supreme
Court.<br><br>
<br>
FYI, Orange County's case is based on the so-called "software
exemption" of the PRA which says "computer software includes
computer mapping systems, computer programs, and computer graphics
systems." The County contends that:<br>
1 - The County's basemap is "parcel geographic data in a GIS file
format."<br>
2 - "GIS" is defined as both software and data.<br>
3 - "Computer mapping system" is defined as another term for
GIS.<br>
4 - "Computer mapping system" is both software and data.<br>
5 - The County's data is a "computer mapping system" and
therefore exempt.<br><br>
The GIS Amicus Letter argues against these assertions. <br>
a) - The Legislature did not intend to include data when it exempted
software.<br>
b) - While all software operates on data, data is not an intrinsic part
of GIS, nor of CMS.<br>
c) - The structure of GIS-compatible data is necessary for a user to read
the data with GIS software, therefore GIS-formatted data must be
considered public record. <br><br>
Do let me know if the Amicus Letter makes this clear to a non-technical
Judge.<br><br>
The <b>Sierra Club's brief</b> to the CA Supreme Court, and <b>Orange
County's reply</b>, can be found at
<a href="http://www.calpubrec.org/oclawsuit/appeal/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.calpubrec.org/oclawsuit/appeal/index.html</a>
under "<b>Briefing on the Merits</b>."<br><br>
The 4th District Court of Appeal's decision is a bit further down the web page at:<br>
"<b>The Court of Appeal<a href="http://SCvOC%20Appeal%20Opinion%20Filestamped.htm" target="_blank"> denied the Sierra Club's Petition in an Opinion Filed on May 31, </a><a href="http://SCvOC%20Appeal%20Opinion%20Filestamped.htm" target="_blank">2011</a> </b>linked to:<br>
<b><a href="http://www.calpubrec.org/oclawsuit/appeal/SCvOC%20Appeal%20Opinion%20Filestamped.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.calpubrec.org/oclawsuit/appeal/SCvOC%20Appeal%20Opinion%20Filestamped.pdf</a><br><br>
</b></div>
</div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br>************************************<br>David William Bitner<br>
</div>