The Day in Transparency 4/19/2011

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Here is Tuesday’s look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events.

News Roundup:

  • Sprint has hired experienced lobbyists at three of Washington’s top lobbying firms in preparation for a prolonged fight with AT&T. (Politico)
  • Policy aide to Speaker John Boehner, Jay Cranford, is leaving Capitol Hill to join the lobbying firm Clark Lytle & Geduldig as a partner in May. (Roll Call $)
  • Data within the federal government is growing at a rate of 30 percent per year, causing the development of effective data deduplication strategies to become an IT priority. (Federal News Radio)
  • There are a number of new requirements for federal agencies to be in compliance with new legislation that is the first major revision to the 1993 Government Performance and Results Act. First on the list is choosing a senior political official to serve as Chief Operating Officer. (Government Executive)
  • The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is hiring an Executive Director of Digital – nicknamed a “Twitter Tsar” by the UK media – to manage the government’s digital strategy. (Government Technology)
  • President Obama will be participating in a Facebook town hall meeting regarding “Shared Responsibility and Shared Prosperity” on Wednesday. (Tech President)
  • Caribbean newspaper publisher and philanthropist Karl B. Rodney pleaded guilty last week to arranging for Members of Congress to attend business conferences in the Caribbean and misleading congressional staffers about who was paying for trips. (Jamaica Observer)
  • Despite the number of budget cuts included in the 2011 budget deal, SaferProducts.gov remained intact. (Next Gov)
  • The Obama’s income was less in 2010 than it was in 2009. The couple reported an adjusted gross income of $1.7 million (down from $5.5 million in 2009), donated 14.2 percent of their pre-tax income to charity, and paid $453,770 in taxes. (New York Times)(The Hill)
  • The FAPIIS contractor database launched April 15th, but as it will only include data entered after the 15th, it is currently pretty empty. (Federal Computer Week)
  • Opinion: The Project on Government Oversight finds that “the public FAPIIS site is a good first step, but it has a long way to go.” (Project on Government Oversight)
  • Opinion: Former Senator Fritz Hollings writes that limiting campaign spending would limit the influence of lobbyists and special interests while giving senators the time necessary to actually listen, debate, and legislate. (Huffington Post)
  • Opinion: In a Letter to the Editor, a citizen from Aspen, Colorado opines that public oversight by voters is necessary for fair and transparent elections. (Aspen Times)

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 4/19:

House:

  • None. District work period, House not in session.

Senate:

  • None. Senate stands adjourned until May 2, 2011.

Relevant bills introduced:

House:

  • None. District work period, House not in session.

Senate:

  • None. Senate stands adjourned until May 2, 2011.

Transparency events scheduled for 4/19: