Ford UFO Files

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used by bureaucrats to legally withhold information which could expose their political shenanigans.
When asked for information, they can say, 11We are sorry we cannot give it fo you. You are not
'properly and directly concerned! 111
The new Freedom of Information bill, which the House will soon take up, would cer-
tainly make officials of the Executive Branch think twice before deliberately exaggerating or fcl-
sifying figures, just to make their department look good. It would make them think twice before
blatantly withholding information which should properly be the right of the public to know.
An example of deliberate exaggeration was the Area Redevelopment Administration's
figures on the number of new jobs created by Federal public works projects. The official figure
was more than twice too many. It over-claimed by about 128 per cent.
Such slanting of the news to fit the political scene has, of recent years, become a
fine art. The present Administration has been responsible for several masterpieces of misinformation.
It has led The New York Times to editorialize--and I quote-- 11The credibility of the United
States government is a precious thing. It has been sacrificed too often in the name of expediency."
Unquote.
Of course, misinformation, slanted information, withheld information are to a great
:~xtent a matter of political morality. An Administration that has none, can usually get away with ..:·
all three.
This is Congressman reporting from Washington.
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(A copy of this script is available on Teleprompter in the House TV Studio)
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