Wrong.
Taitz could not have gone straight to the OEO with her FOIA as it first had to go to the The Office of Privacy and Disclosure (OPD) who directs all FOIA activities. FOIAs all go into a centralized database for processing. Taitz submitted the requested FOIA there, a central office (OPD) where it processes the FOIA requests in their electronic Freedom of Information Act (eFOIA) system. OPD determine where it goes as is says here from the Social Security Administration:
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"FOIA Home / About the Office of Privacy and Disclosure
Mission
The Office of Privacy and Disclosure (OPD) is one of the major components within the Office of the General Counsel (OGC). OPD develops and interprets Social Security Administration (SSA) policy governing the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of personally identifiable information under the Privacy Act, section 1106 of the Social Security Act, section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code, and related privacy statutes and regulations. Additionally, OPD develops policy for data exchange agreements governed by the Privacy Act and the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act (CMPPA).
OPD also directs all FOIA activities within SSA, including developing FOIA policies and procedures, establishing national guidelines for handling FOIA requests, publishing the Annual Report on FOIA activities, and reviewing FOIA and Privacy Act requests and appeals to determine the proper disclosure of records.
OPD Organizational Structure
SSA employs a “centralized” approach for handling all FOIA requests and appeals submitted to the agency. To accomplish our FOIA mission, OPD’s structure includes two Disclosure Policy Development Divisions, each aligned to specific SSA Regional Offices. This alignment helps us efficiently and consistently process FOIA requests, and handle disclosure and privacy matters. Regional staff may directly consult with the same core set of analysts on disclosure policy and procedure matters, instead of going through a clearinghouse process that randomly assigns inquiries to a “pool” of analysts.
This arrangement also allows the OPD analyst to become familiar with privacy and disclosure issues that may be unique to a particular geographic region due to State or local laws, or other influencing factors.
How We Process Requests
We receive FOIA requests via the internet, or by fax, email, and U.S. mail.
Regardless of the submission method, we capture all FOIA requests in our electronic Freedom of Information Act (eFOIA) system. We scan and image all paper requests (mail, email, and fax) into eFOIA, whereas requests submitted through our internet request form go directly into eFOIA. As soon as we enter a request into the system, or a person submits an online request, eFOIA generates an acknowledgement letter. While this letter confirms for the requester our receipt of their request, it also provides a reference number specifically assigned to their case, along with a voice mailbox telephone number, the requester can call to inquire on the status of his or her request. OPD maintains a policy of responding to all calls placed to this number within one working day.
Under FOIA, we may charge fees to process certain FOIA requests. The eFOIA system allows requesters to pay online for some routine requests, which accelerates our responsiveness to the public and reduces our administrative costs.
We strive to handle each request within 20 days from the date we receive it. We process requests under a “first in” “first out” basis. However, sometimes it may take us longer depending on the complexity of the request, the amount of records sought, where the documents are located, and how much other work we have.
A complex request may require us to obtain more information from either the requester, or from office(s) within SSA. A request may require us to seek paper records that we collectively maintain in multiple geographic locations, or in archived storage. ..."
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Oh darn it, the latest OBot myth blown up.
Kind of ties into this story this week about the White House re-directing any sensitive FOIA requests to political reviewers at the White House (you can be dang sure that anything related to Barry’s eligibility would be included, especially any requests by Orly Taitz!):
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3134945/posts
“Most transparent’ White House ever rewrote the FOIA to suppress politically sensitive docs”
By Mark Tapscott, Washington Examiner
It’s Sunshine Week, so perhaps some enterprising White House reporter will ask press secretary Jay Carney why President Obama rewrote the Freedom of Information Act without telling the rest of America.
The rewrite came in an April 15, 2009, memo from then-White House Counsel Greg Craig instructing the executive branch to let White House officials review any documents sought by FOIA requestors that involved “White House equities.”
“eFOIA generates an acknowledgement letter. While this letter confirms for the requester our receipt of their request, it also provides a reference number specifically assigned to their case, along with a voice mailbox telephone number, the requester can call to inquire on the status of his or her request.”
So why is there no “voice mailbox telephone number” on Taitz’s letter?
“Taitz could not have gone straight to the OEO with her FOIA as it first had to go to the The Office of Privacy and Disclosure (OPD) who directs all FOIA activities.”
Maybe she requested a copy of an SS-5 for a deceased person.
From the SSA website:
You may use Form SSA-711 to request a deceased person’s application for a Social Security Number (Form SS-5); however you do not need to use the Form SSA-711. To obtain a deceased person’s Form SS-5, send your request to:
Social Security Administration
OEO FOIA Workgroup
300 N. Greene Street
P.O. Box 33022
Baltimore, Maryland 21290-3022
http://www.ssa.gov/foia/request.html#a0=4
OEO stands for Office of Earnings Operations which is where the SSA letter says her request was forwarded to.
I suppose it comes down to who you want to believe Orly taitz or Susan Daniels.