Laws governing open records, open meetings and freedom of information sometimes are perceived as only tools for the media. Yet the laws apply to all citizens. In today's Voice of Gwinnett, some local residents tell how they have used government records and the laws providing public access to information.

Have you or someone you know used open records or freedom of information laws to access information or government records? Do you think government should be more or less open with its records and documents?

About the survey The Voice of Gwinnett is a panel of Gwinnett residents who answer online questionnaires on various topics. The latest sample was conducted in February and includes 223 residents Additional responses are sometimes gathered in random, on-the-street interviews. Because the panel is composed of volunteers, the Voice of Gwinnett is not a scientific poll in which all respondents are randomly selected. To have your voice included as part of Voice of Gwinnett, go to ajc.com/voiceofgwinnett. -- The Voice of Atlanta is prepared for the Internet and analyzed by the Marketing Workshop Inc. • Gwinnett community page

Henry Stringfellow , Lawrenceville

Yes, I've used open records laws. For code enforcement records on building repairs, for business licenses. For litigation, for police records on investigations.

If I could not have accessed them, I could not have found that the repairs made to a house were not done properly or that the building was constructed outside the code. I could not have found out about the comments and statements made by arresting officers in certain cases.

Government should be more open with its records.

It is more difficult to hide corruption when you have access to the records. The greatest threat we have is corrupt government officials, elected or hired.

My civics teacher in high school taught us that we were a strong and prosperous country because our government was not corrupt. I read a few years back that we had the 13th-most corrupt government in the world!

Look at the charges being leveled against local politicians. Look at the way contracts are handed out. And worst of all, look at the fact that newspapers only make investigations when they can be called politically correct. Open records should help even weak newspapers to dig out the dirt.

Valerie Singleton, Duluth

I didn't have to file a request, but have used government records available at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. When attempting to lease/purchase a home, I looked up information on that house and determined that the property did not belong to either of the individuals involved in renting the property to me. Needless to say, I chose not to lease that particular property.

I think the government should be more open with records. Some personal details such as Social Security numbers, telephone, date of birth, etc., should not be readily available, but other information should be.

Also, if one has made an application for property, a business, a divorce, a license, etc., all such information should be a matter of public record and -- with limitations -- be made available to the public.

Ann Duncan, Lawrenceville

My husband requested notes and information from the IRS when he was contesting a tax.

We were being investigated for something that was not our responsibility.

He had talked to our attorney and our accountant, and the accountant had said, "I think you're just going to have to pay it." But he went to a tax specialist who told him he could fight it himself. He actually was able to get the notes they had taken on the case. He had all his stuff ready and the IRS dropped the case.

The IRS gets most people over a barrel because people think they have to do anything it says. Lots of people are scared of them. I know I am. But sometimes you can fight and win.

Government should be more open. The more secrecy, the more tyranny.

Kathi Mills, Lawrenceville

I asked the Department of Agriculture for a list of all licensed humane societies and pet dealers. I received the information as required by law.

I asked for it because I wanted to compare it to the ads people run in the newspaper. I wanted to see which ones were not licensed to breed pets so that I could provide that information to the state in case they wanted to follow that up. . . .

I was interested because I am a law-abiding citizen.

I think government should be more open.

Bill Rubin, Suwanee

I am the president of my homeowners association. We haven't had to formally request information through use of the law, but we have had to use county records to find the owners of some of the rental properties in our subdivision where the tenants had a lot of violations of subdivision rules.

We also used public information to find out that our homeowners group was paying property taxes on a piece of property not in our subdivision. We found that we were paying hundreds of dollars in taxes on a piece of common land for which the taxes were supposed to be $12. And we found that no easement had been granted for a sewer that was being put in behind our homes.

I think overall government should be less open with records. There is too much identity theft these days because of information open to the public. I know this is not all the government's fault, but we have to to start reining in information somewhere.

Gerald Nidy, Grayson

Yes, I've used open records laws.

I asked the FBI for information it had on me. It did not include nearly as much as I would have expected. I was in the military but I also had several security clearances at the Nevada test site. I was just sort of surprised they didn't have that.

Government should be more open. It is there to serve the public, not to keep secrets from the taxpayers. The records let us know how they're spending OUR money.

Karen Tyler, Lilburn

I've seen employees severely reprimanded for providing public documents to a reporter as requested under the law. The documents then were moved to another location so they could be filtered. This happened because the documents showed that state and federal regulations were not being followed the way they should have been.

Government should be more open. It is our right to know what our government does. And, even if they give you the documents, how do you know they are giving you everything?