Armen Yousoufian's Blog

After 30 years in business/investment real estate, I added "citizen activist" to my resume in 1997 when I requested sports stadium documents of King County Executive Ron Sims. After being "stonewalled", I sued, winning more at every stage, up to the state Supreme Court. Documents disgorged by Sims (after 4 years denying they existed!) revealed rigged studies. Sims misled the public on the stadiums. Other issues found me (e.g. Critical Areas Ordinance). Google “Armen Yousoufian” for more.

About Me

Name:
Location: Vashon, Washington, United States

I was born and raised in New York City. I took classical violin lessons for 10 years and studied astronomy. I built telescopes, grinding the mirrors from scratch. I was a nerd! I considered a career in classical violin but chose astrophysics. I majored in Physics at Rutgers University for 2 years, then switched and graduated in mechanical engineering. I moved to Seattle in 1969 to work on missiles for Boeing, got an MBA from Seattle University, and became a business and real estate entrepreneur for over 30 years. In 1997 I became involved in open government activism when I asked King County Executive Ron Sims for sports stadium documents. I was stonewalled. I sued under the Open Records, or Public Disclosure, Act. I won the case in King County Superior Court, but still didn’t get all the documents, nor recovered my legal fees, which the law said I was entitled to be reimbursed. I appealed and won more in the Court of Appeals and the court of public opinion. But I still didn’t get all the documents! I appealed again and won yet more in the Washington State Supreme Court. But I still don’t have all the documents! While that fight goes on I have become involved in new issues.

Monday, August 22, 2005

"Secrecy is for losers" (late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan)

Here is yet another great website for open government issues, state Public Disclosure or Open Records laws, and related. Many links to open government websites:

http://www.sunshineweek.org

And a quote from its home page:

"Maintaining open government in the face of ever-increasing efforts toward secrecy is a core tenet of this democracy. Your ongoing support for Sunshine Week and your continuing fight for transparency helps ensure government accountability and responsibility.

Associated Press President and CEO Tom Curley put it quite succinctly in a recent speech when he quoted the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan: 'Secrecy is for losers.' "

And a quote from the opening of the speech that the active link two lines above will take you to:

Media, Public Must Fight Secrecy

Published: May 17, 2005

Tom Curley
President and CEO
The Associated Press

Remarks to the National Freedom of Information Coalition
Santa Fe, New Mexico
May 14, 2005

"How humbling it is to stand among some of the world’s most successful and courageous troublemakers. I salute you for all you have done to advance freedom and, especially, freedom of information. "

posted by Armen Yousoufian | 9:35 PM

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