Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee Moves In Mysterious Ways

The Wall Street Journal takes a look at the somewhat secretive and slow moving ways of the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee.

Reporter Saabira Chaudhuri quotes Carl Flatow, who has been lobbying the committee for the past two years for a postage stamp honoring Rev. Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth,"a towering figure in the history of beekeeping,"  as saying, "They're so secretive about the process. It's like screaming into a black hole."

According to the article, Roy Betts, a spokesperson for the postal service said in an email,""The Committee meetings are closed. They do keep records but they are not made public."

In a related story appearing on the Angry Asian Man website, Bruce Lee fans have also been trying get the legendary martial arts icon on a United States postage stamp in 2012 -- the Year of the Dragon without much success.

"Since details about meetings aren't released, neither are the reasons why the CSAC chooses one type of stamp over any other," writes Chaudhuri, who also points out "its deliberations about stamps are exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests."

Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee was formed in 1957 and consists of 11 members who are appointed by the postmaster general for three-year terms.

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