Sunlight Foundation

Press Editorials

Press Articles & Mentions for 2010

• The Advocate - Another try at openness

  We share the passion that Ellen Miller, director of the Sunlight Foundation, has for openness and transparency in government. So her “report card” on President Barack Obama’s efforts to improve the federal government’s record is of interest, and is even in some ways promising. Still, the bottom line: “Simply put, the president’s commitment to transparency is not yet living up to its full potential,” Miller said. The nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation pointed to some gains in access to government information during the first year of Obama’s Open Government Directive. It was a mixed report, as one might expect, because government agencies might have vastly different types of information, constituencies demanding that information and capabilities to get information out — willing or not. The Sunlight Foundation gave appropriate credit to Health and Human Services, the Labor Department and NASA. They “have led the way in releasing data, and the working groups created among key staff have brought about real cultural change within agencies.” A fuller assessment of the Obama initiative is available — approppriately enough — at http://sunlightfoundation.com/policy/documents/agenda. That site includes recommendations for improvements. In Miller’s assessments, two phrases stand out. One is culture change. In domestic agencies, openness can come more easily. For agencies dealing with national defense or homeland security, a culture of keeping information closer to the vest is almost always a given. While reformers can and should work to open more information to the public, the process of vetting what can be released and when is inherently more difficult — and often, made more difficult by officialdom. That is why there is Miller’s emphasis on working groups, the lower-level officials who can get things done in larger agencies. Miller also says: “More concentrated work is needed to move beyond the easy wins.”

• Las Cruces Sun-News - Another reason for campaign finance reform

  Two candidates for the 2nd Congressional District of New Mexico combined for $4.3 million in campaign spending - a lot come from national groups - as Republican Steve Pearce regained his seat in the House from one-termer Harry Teague. And according to the watchdog group, the Sunlight Foundation, much of that came from national political party committees.

• The Washington Times - No Sunlight on Black Panthers

  Mr. Obama and Mr. Holder repeatedly have promised what the president called "an unmatched level of transparency, participation and accountability across the entire administration." Mr. Holder likewise advertised "a presumption of disclosure to all FOIA requests." That Holder quote is from March 15. The next day, Associated Press ran a story that the liberal Huffington Post headlined "Obama's broken promise: Federal agencies not more transparent under Obama administration." By August, the left-leaning Sunlight Foundation headlined a report saying the White House "Abandons commitment to transparency." On Dec. 8, Sunlight Executive Director Ellen S. Miller concluded, "Simply put, the president's commitment to transparency is not yet living up to its full potential."

• The Lompo Record - Dispiriting omens for 2011

  While pundits and partisans keep political score, and politicians plot their 2012 presidential election strategy, the nation and its silent majority who hunger for reasonableness and straight talk, are already losers in the game. Except, of course, it’s not a game.

• The Sunday Mail - Don't shoot messenger

  ANY suggestion that legal action should be taken against WikiLeaks should be resisted. IT IS a well-worn truism that the natural inclination of all governments is to do their business in secret, more so when it's to cover up embarrassing errors, human failings and basic mistakes.

• The Sun Journal - Paying off their campaign debts now top priority

  We’re not going to call it “business as usual,” mainly because a whole group of new congressmen just won election running against that.

• New York Times - Freshman Party

  Adam Kinzinger of Illinois is one of the new Republican lawmakers swept into office last month on a promise to change the ways of Washington. “If we look like we’re doing business as usual,” the congressman-elect told a reporter last month, “then obviously the American people will say, ‘Well, what was that all about?’ ”

• Morgan Hill Times - What's needed is earmark transparency

  Sure, voters sent a message in November to stop reckless spending. Yet the earmarking system that perpetuates the power of incumbency, fosters a culture of dependency on government and produced the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" and influence-peddling scandals that sent some to prison, still exists. Washington keeps borrowing and spending money we don't have on things we don't need.

• The Poughkeepsie Journal - Demand details of campaign ads

  Say what you want about the results of the November elections, but there is no arguing billions of dollars were put into these campaigns — and the lack of transparency about where all the money came from was astonishing.

• The Columbus Dispatch - Death by 1,000 cuts

  Banning earmarks in federal spending won't do much to eliminate annual deficits of more than $1 trillion, but the apparent momentum in Congress for an earmark moratorium still is good news, for one simple reason: If Congress can't rein in this practice, what hope is there of real budget reform?

• The Philadelphia Inquirer - Cleaning up earmarks

  The renewed push in Congress to ban earmarks is encouraging, but lawmakers should also adopt other reforms to suppress their appetite for pork.

• Wilmington Star News - Money from anonymous groups has grip on elections

  Money may not directly buy elections, but it buys the kind of access to the political process that most ordinary Americans don’t enjoy. And a few wealthy individuals bought more than their share of “access” in this past election – among them Wilmington’s Fred Eshelman.

• The Press Democrat - PD Editorial: Cash box

  You can once again retrieve the mail without a wheelbarrow and Nomex gloves. The airwaves have been returned to purveyors of new automobiles, cell phones and sex enhancement drugs.

• The Everett Daily Herald - Shine light on political cash

  When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that corporations and unions can’t be limited in how much they spend to influence federal elections, critics predicted an unprecedented flood of cash would flow into the 2010 midterm campaigns.

• The Times Tribune - Elections need transparency

  The degree to which the Supreme Court's errant decision has increased the power of heavily monied interests is apparent in the wake of the midterm elections. Infusions of unlimited money, much of it from anonymous donors, fueled one of the most aggressively negative campaign seasons in modern times.

• The Orlando Sentinel - Our take on: Secret money tide & Bagging hunger

  Secret money tide Groups representing political parties, corporations, labor unions and other special interests poured more than $454 million into this year's congressional campaigns, according to the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation. More than a quarter of that total — $126 million — came from groups that didn't disclose their contributors.

• The Journal Star - Editorial, 11/5: Shed light on the money trail

  There's an old saying that to truly understand politics a person should "follow the money."

• New York Times - Campaign Money to Burn

  After Tuesday’s vote, there is no limit to the ambitions of stealth political groups bankrolled by anonymous check writers. Two of the flushest pro-Republican operations, American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, plan to extend their campaigning into the lame-duck session of Congress with waves of misinformation about tax and immigration issues.

• The Anniston Star - Taking fun out of fundraising (And the accountability, as well)

  Three U.S. presidents loom over today’s election.

• Lexington Herald-Leader - Campaign ads full of 'stench of secrecy'

  If the airwaves seem fuller than ever of political attack ads this campaign season, thank the U.S. Supreme Court.

• Los Angeles Times - The money behind the ads

  A political action committee formed by the California Chamber of Commerce has spent more than $3.8 million in recent weeks to defeat the Democratic candidate for insurance commissioner, Assemblyman Dave Jones of Sacramento. Almost three-fourths of the PAC's money for the final campaign push has come from the insurance companies that would be regulated by the winner of the race between Jones and Republican Assemblyman Mike Villines of Clovis. Meanwhile, political committees backed largely by trial lawyers spent at least $420,000 on radio ads during the same period to support Jones and bash Villines.

• The Washington Post - Capping the secret money gusher

  IT'S POSSIBLE to make a plausible argument that for all the focus on which candidate has raised the most and which party has more in its coffers, money doesn't really play a determinative role in politics. Or that gushers of campaign cash in the 2010 elections are not a troubling indication of financial power trumping message but welcome evidence of a robust public debate. Or that for all the Democratic belly-aching about outside groups' spending this election cycle, the two parties and their ideological allies have managed to spend to a draw, with neither side enjoying that much of a financial edge over the other.

• The Daily Review - Political ads need more accountability

  If political campaign ads seem even more abundant and toxic than usual this year, it's because they probably are.

• The Standard Speaker - Who's paying for toxic ads?

  If political campaign ads seem even more abundant and toxic than usual this year, it's because they probably are.

• The Times-Tribune - 'Free' speech unaccountable

  If political campaign ads seem even more abundant and toxic than usual this year, it's because they probably are.

• The Taunton Daily Gazette - OUR VIEW: The anonymous campaign donors and what they want

  Between the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, which removed all limits on corporate political spending, and a new set of organizations operating under a provision in the tax code that allows donors to remain anonymous, it’s getting harder than ever to tell who’s behind this year’s campaign commercials — or what they hope to get in return.

• The MetroWest Daily News - Editorial: What the anonymous campaign donors want

  Between the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, which removed all limits on corporate political spending, and a new set of organizations operating under a provision in the tax code that allows donors to remain anonymous, it's getting harder than ever to tell who's behind this year's campaign commercials - or what they hope to get in return.

• The Akron Beacon Journal - Campaign gusher

  Ohio is no stranger to big spending in political campaigns. What's opened the floodgates this year in battleground states across the country is a January ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. In its Citizens United decision, the court misguidedly opened the financial floodgates, overturning decades of federal campaign finance law to clear the way for corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts on television ads and other activities that urge voters to support or oppose candidates.

• USA Today - Departing Congress leaves piles of unfinished business

  As Congress finishes work this week and heads home to campaign, warring Republicans and Democrats finally found a shared goal: Collecting as many contributions as possible from Washington's special interests.

• The Florida Times-Union - Opinion nuggets: Lifting the curtain

  With so much of the direction of our country at stake, eyes are glued on the November elections for Congress.

• Naples Daily News - Obama falls short on ‘sunshine’ improvements

  Florida has been a bright and shining force over the decades when it comes to keeping the public’s business public.

• Centre Daily News - Turn to Family Pages in print and online

  Our monthly Family Pages section returns to the paper Sunday, and we know it’s popular. Now that schools are back in session, those who like Family Pages monthly can enjoy it more often.

• Mail Tribune - Help shine a light

  It's election time again, and that means campaign ads will bombard us from every direction and on every medium, from television to the Internet. This year, thanks to the Sunlight Foundation, everyone has an opportunity to help track those ads and who is paying for them.

• Democrat & Chronicle - More information about earmarks needed

  Truth be told, what's often dismissed as "pork" doled out by re-election seeking members of Congress and state lawmakers helps to provide vital programs and services.

• The News Tribune - Obama still has work to do on reversing federal secrecy

  Here is some news to cheer supporters of open government: The feds made considerable progress last year in paring what had been a chronic backlog of public disclosure requests.

• The Washington Examiner - Examiner Local Editorial: Put D.C. government's check register online

  When the leading candidates for D.C. mayor and City Council chairman met with The Examiner's editorial board recently, they were each asked if they would support measures to post D.C. government's check register online, so that residents can see every expenditure by every department, including the District of Columbia Public Schools. To their credit, Mayor Adrian Fenty, Council Chairman Vincent Gray, chairman candidate Vincent Orange and Council member Kwame Brown all unhesitatingly said yes. So, no matter which of these candidates wins the Sept. 14 primary and the general election in November, D.C. residents should be able to look forward to a new era of transparency in the District's governance that would have been unthinkable just four years ago.

• San Antonio Express News - Retreat on ethics feeds cynicism

  President Barack Obama entered the White House with an impressive commitment to government transparency. Issuing an executive order and two memoranda related to transparency and open government were among his first acts in the Oval Office. “All agencies should adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure” he wrote in the order instructing public officials to comply with the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act.

• The Tribune - White House stalls its commitment to transparency

  At a time when ethics issues are making headline news consider the pending ethics charges against Reps. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) and Maxine Waters (D-CA) - is the White House short-changing its commitment to transparency and ethics reform?

• The Taunton Gazette - OUR VIEW: President Obama’s record on transparency is not the ‘change’ he promised

  Most of the cases where the Obama administration has fallen short of its promises can be attributed to the united and stubborn opposition of Republicans. The stimulus, health care reform and financial regulatory initiatives were compromised in fruitless pursuit of bipartisanship. Fear and foot-dragging by the GOP and some Democrats have helped stymie climate and energy legislation and the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

• The Herald News - OUR VIEW: Partly cloudy presidency

  Most of the cases where the Obama administration has fallen short of its promises can be attributed to the united and stubborn opposition of Republicans. The stimulus, health care reform and financial regulatory initiatives were compromised in fruitless pursuit of bipartisanship. Fear and foot-dragging by the GOP and some Democrats have helped stymie climate and energy legislation and the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

• Livingston Daily - For compliant Congress, votes draw big money

  The days before the U.S. House approved a historic financial-reform package this winter were hectic ones for lawmakers, and not only on the House floor. Many were busy collecting money from financial interests that were lobbying to defeat the measure.

• Beaumont Enterprise - President Obama must follow up on pledges to support open government

  Voters are used to politicians who make promises when they are campaigning but fail to follow up on them once they get elected. President Obama said he would be different, particularly on open government issues. He made more pledges about openness than previous candidates in either party. He said he would make the appointments and set up the programs necessary to help taxpayers keep tabs on the federal government.

• Daily News Tribune - Editorial: Obama's record on transparency

  Most of the cases where the Obama administration has fallen short of its promises can be attributed to the united and stubborn opposition of Republicans. The stimulus, health care reform and financial regulatory initiatives were compromised in fruitless pursuit of bipartisanship. Fear and foot-dragging by the GOP and some Democrats have helped stymie climate and energy legislation and the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell."

• The Milford Daily News - Obama's record on transparency

  Most of the cases where the Obama administration has fallen short of its promises can be attributed to the united and stubborn opposition of Republicans. The stimulus, health care reform and financial regulatory initiatives were compromised in fruitless pursuit of bipartisanship. Fear and foot-dragging by the GOP and some Democrats have helped stymie climate and energy legislation and the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell."

• Gloucester Times - Editorial: City must be certain Washington St. work doesn't hurt businesses

  The section of Washington Street from Grant Circle to the Joan of Arc statue and the American Legion building is indeed the major "gateway into Gloucester."

• Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Capitol gluttony

  The amount that Congress spends to avoid legislating on empty stomachs is more than enough to make taxpayers sick to theirs.

• USA TODAY - Our view on campaign finance: Big votes draw big money for a compliant Congress

  The days before the House approved a historic financial reform package this winter were hectic ones for lawmakers, and not only on the House floor. Many were busy collecting money from financial interests that were lobbying to defeat the measure.

• The Buffalo News - Build the (other) bridge

  A long-moldering pot of federal money that was once -- excuse the expression -- earmarked for a new bridge to Buffalo's outer harbor has been diverted to other uses, and may disappear altogether. That realization should inspire local leaders to start looking for new money to fund a project that has only become more important as time has gone by.

• Inforum - Forum editorial: Senators say ‘no’ to sunlight

  The U.S. Senate’s rejection of the DISCLOSE Act is yet another reason for Americans to distrust their elected representatives. The act would have required more transparency regarding campaign spending by special interest groups. It would have required those organizations to reveal the sources of their funding.

• The Reporter - Editorial: 'Use it or lose it' is sensible

  A week after Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Colo., introduced a "use-it-or-lose-it" measure to rescind Transportation Department funds authorized during the last two decades but never spent, Congress overwhelmingly adopted it Tuesday.

• The New York Times - The Price of Broadband Politics

  One good measure of the intensity with which phone and cable companies dislike the Federal Communications Commission’s plan to extend its regulatory oversight over access to broadband Internet is the amount of money they are spending on political contributions.

• The Lexington Herald-Leader - Banking rules must be serious

  Even Congress has begun to understand that Americans are still not happy with banks. That's good because it might, just might have been the only reason members of Congress — despite the bevy of bank lobbyists hovering nearby — managed to keep some teeth in regulatory reform.

• The Daily Herald - Insiders hold firm control

  The revolving door keeps spinning in Washington, D.C., leaving power in the hands of the well-connected, not the public. Two nonpartisan reports underscore this never-ending, self-perpetuating problem.

• The Commercial Appeal - Editorial: Store still has allure

  A critical report by researchers with the nonprofit Public Accountability Initiative might have lowered expectations for a Bass Pro Shops store in The Pyramid. But a contract with the Springfield, Mo.-based sporting goods giant remains the best hope for restoring the publicly owned icon at Memphis' western gateway to productive use.

• The San Francisco Examiner - Examiner Editorial: Pass earmark-transparency bill without delay

  At a time when the U.S. is starved for genuine bipartisanship in Congress, the Earmark Transparency Act of 2010 should be as welcome as a bottle of spring water to man lost in the desert.

• The Washington Examiner - Pass earmark transparency now

  At a time when the United States is starved for genuine bipartisanship in Congress, the Earmark Transparency Act (ETA) of 2010 should be as welcome as a bottle of spring water to a man lost in the desert. Earmarks are special-interest legislative provisions senators and representatives use to direct tax dollars to favored recipients. Earmarks are typically obscure provisions in must-pass spending bills, so individual items rarely get a specific up-or-down vote. Last year, Congress approved more than 9,000 earmarks worth an estimated $16 billion.

• The Olympian - Earmark Transparency Act would increase oversight

  Love 'em or hate 'em, earmarks are a part of the federal budget process. Critics say that earmarks, which bring billions of federal dollars back into communities for specific projects, are a misuse of federal spending authority and pork barrel politics at its worst.

• The Columbus Dispatch - Editorial: Put public in loop

  When a person donates money to a politician or signs a political petition, the fact is noted in a public record. The politician who spends donors' money to buy yard signs and TV time has to report it. Public disclosure of such transactions is essential to curb corruption in government.

• The Idaho Statesman - Moving Freedom of Information into Real Time

  The good thing about the federal Freedom of Information Act is that it declares the kind of clarity about government operations that citizens require if they're going to make a constitutional democracy work.

• Dayton Daily News - Editorials from around Ohio

  Excerpts of recent editorials of statewide and national interest from Ohio newspapers: When a person donates money to a politician or signs a political petition, the fact is noted in a public record. The politician who spends donors' money to buy yard signs and TV time has to report it. Public disclosure of such transactions is essential to curb corruption in government.

• Intelligencer Journal - SHORT TAKES: Tax relief; campus crime; earmarks

  You gotta love Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor. Christie was swept into office on a wave of reform, and he hasn't disappointed.

• The Plain Dealer - Making congressional earmark information publicly accessible would be a plus: editorial

  Incumbents tout congressional earmarks as bacon brought home for the district. Challengers trash them as legislation by stealth -- until they take office and begin frying the bacon themselves.

• Wisconsin State Journal - Shine light on sneaky earmarks

  The best way to stop Congress from larding up federal spending bills with wasteful pet projects is to shine a bright light on any and all earmark requests - before they're approved. That's what the Earmark Transparency Act would do. Wisconsin's congressional delegation should strongly and unanimously support quick passage of this sensible bill.

• Las Cruces Sun-News - Our View: Proposed law would reveal earmarks request

  In a welcome show of bipartisanship, four U.S. senators and two members of the House - three Democrats and three Republicans - have introduced legislation that would make it easier for the public to get information on earmark requests.

• Standard-Examiner - OUR VIEW: Bill boosts earmarks transparency

  We're no fan of earmarks, little chunks of spending tucked into larger bills, but so long as they are part of our Congress, we want to make sure that voters know all about them. That's why we support a bipartisan bill in Congress to require Congress to have an online database where information on all congressional earmarks could be searched by interested parties.

• El Paso Times - Earmarks: Legislation would reveal requests

  In a welcome show of bipartisanship, four U.S. senators and two members of the House -- three Democrats and three Republicans -- have introduced legislation that would make it easier for the public to get information on earmark requests.

• The Advocate - Our Views: Better rules for earmarks

  There are two things to like about a new initiative championed by U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, on the issue of earmark spending in the Congress.

• Bangor Daily News - Following the Money

  Don't assume that a recent 5-4 Supreme Court decision has given corporations and labor unions a completely free hand to pump money into election campaigns. A bill introduced in the House and Senate would require them to tell exactly who is giving what and why.

• The Oregonian - Shine light on all political shadows

  Disclosure rules must be equally strict for corporations, advocacy groups and unions. If Congress is to repair campaign finance laws washed away by a Supreme Court ruling giving corporations and special interests free speech rights, it must not do so in a way that gives any side a political advantage.

• Missoulian - Openness bill should be approved

  Say you wanted to know when certain members of the executive branch of our federal government travel on the public dime, and when their travel expenses are paid for by third parties. Or say you wanted to take a look at specific personal financial documents filed by other government officials.

• The Billings Gazette - Gazette opinion: Court must aim for greater transparency

  In November 2008, the Montana Supreme Court denied a petition to make public the wrongdoing that had led the state lawyer disciplinary system to punish Moira d’Alton for misconduct in her duties as a Billings assistant city attorney with public censure, temporary revocation of her law license and two years of probation. The Gazette argued that a lawyer paid by and representing taxpayers should have no expectation of privacy for misdeeds related to her public office. The court sided with its disciplinary rules, which allowed the attorney to be promised confidentiality, saying that it would be unfair to change the rules after the case had been settled.

• The Spokesman-Review - Welcome bills push online public information

  The good thing about the federal Freedom of Information Act is that it declares the kind of clarity about government operations that citizens require if they’re going to make a constitutional democracy work. The worst thing about the federal Freedom of Information Act is that it’s administered by government personnel, who, no matter their personal character, are components in the system whose activities are subject to disclosure, inspection and accountability.

• Helena Independent Record - Demand open government

  A bill introduced last week by a Montana senator would go a long way in making our federal government more open and more responsive to its people, and as a result, put more trust back in our democratic process. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., introduced the Public Online Information Act that would require the federal government to put documents already considered public onto a searchable free database on the Internet.

• The Washington Post - Corporate money in politics

  THE SUPREME COURT'S ruling in the Citizens United campaign finance case opened a dangerous pathway for corporations to spend money in direct support of -- or in opposition to -- candidates for federal office. Under the decision, corporations -- and labor unions -- still can't give money directly to federal candidates, but they can spend unlimited sums in independent expenditures for or against them. Even more dangerous, because of preexisting gaps in campaign disclosure laws, the money can be spent, in effect, anonymously. The entity spending the money -- say, Americans for Really Good Government (ARGG) -- would have to register with the Federal Election Commission and report its activities, but ARGG would not have to disclose its donors. So Corporation A or Labor Union B could give unlimited sums to ARGG to run ads going after Candidate C -- and the public would have no clue. This troubling situation should be fixed in time for the next election.

• The Bend Bulletin - Disclosure law has its strengths

  While the DISCLOSE bill now before the U.S. Senate is far from perfect, it does have some elements that would surely do more good than harm. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., is responsible for one of them.

• The Washington Times - EDITORIAL: Obama fails the transparency test

  On the campaign trail, Barack Obama made the bold promise that his administration would be more transparent than his predecessor's. More than a year into his presidency, however, not much has changed. The list of complaints about openness is topped by the well-known failure to negotiate Obamacare in public. The president's new deficit-reduction commission has followed the same lead and is conducting most of its deliberations behind closed doors.

• The Houston Chronicle - Tracking the cash

  The Supreme Court's recent controversial ruling that corporations have the constitutionally protected right to use their money to influence elections has lawmakers from Texas to Washington scrambling to deal with the expected surge of cash into upcoming elections.

• The News & Observer - Solid gold skyboxers

  NORFOLK, Va. -- For a mere $2,500, I could have attended a recent Jon Bon Jovi concert in a luxury suite at the Verizon Center in Washington, assisted the re-election campaign of Rep. Robert Latta, R-Ohio, and spent the evening with people who would happily and repeatedly refer to me as a "rock star."

• The New York Times - Big Money’s Alarming Political Edge

  Time is short for Congress to deal with the damage from the Supreme Court’s decision allowing corporations and unions to spend without limit in attacking or boosting candidates for federal office.

• The Patriot-News - Saying 'no' to bridges to nowhere: Earmark reform

  It’s “bridge to nowhere” season in Washington. Congressional earmarks were due a day after the health care bill passed the House, somewhat comedic timing. While earmark requests were quickly lost in the “big deal” reaction to health care, they are worth a closer look.

• The Press Democrat - PD Editorial: Wish lists

  If it’s spring, it must be earmark season — that time of year when congressional representatives all over the country make their annual appeals for the things they want funded in their districts.

• Silver City Sun-News - Their view: A sensible step for increased access to public information

  The following editorial appeared in the Washington Post: In the last scene of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," a clerk wheels the crated Ark of the Covenant into a cavernous government warehouse, destined to be lost among endless rows of nondescript boxes. The film's protagonist, Indiana Jones, mutters: "Fools, bureaucratic fools. ... They don't know what they've got there."

• The Boston Globe - Campaign finance: Disclose corporate, union ads

  The Supreme Court decision letting corporations and unions spend unlimited amounts touting political candidates — or trashing those they oppose — could make officeholders more beholden to special interests. The least Congress can do is require full disclosure of such expenditures and insist that shareholders or union members approve them.

• Denton Record-Chronicle - Other Voices: Sensible step toward greater transparency

  In the last scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark, a clerk wheels the crated Ark of the Covenant into a cavernous government warehouse, destined to be lost among endless rows of nondescript boxes. The film’s protagonist, Indiana Jones, mutters: “Fools, bureaucratic fools. ... They don’t know what they’ve got there.”

• Napa Valley Register - Key data, just a click away

  In the last scene of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” a clerk wheels the crated Ark of the Covenant into a cavernous government warehouse, destined to be lost among endless rows of nondescript boxes. The film’s protagonist, Indiana Jones, mutters: “Fools, bureaucratic fools. ... They don’t know what they’ve got there.”

• The Washington Post - Sunshine online

  IN THE LAST scene of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," a clerk wheels the crated Ark of the Covenant into a cavernous government warehouse, destined to be lost among endless rows of nondescript boxes. The film's protagonist, Indiana Jones, mutters: "Fools, bureaucratic fools. . . . They don't know what they've got there."

• El Paso Times - Transparency: Sunlight Foundation forms key committee

  During the contentious debate over health-care legislation, it became obvious that not only did Democrats wish to exclude Republicans from the deliberations, but they also wanted to exclude the American public from the process.

• USA Today - Opposing view: 'Earmark' isn't a dirty word

  On the surface, the recent decision by the House of Representatives to ban all congressional earmarks directed to private companies might appear to be in the public interest. In reality, such a move would only empower the executive branch and shift the attention of lobbyists from Congress to unelected bureaucrats, who have no accountability to the taxpayer.

• The Pantagraph - Don't give up trying to reform earmark process

  The U.S. House of Representatives took meaningful steps earlier this month to curtail earmark abuse. It is a pity that the Senate did not follow in its footsteps. Instead, on a 68-29 vote, with 15 Republicans joining 43 Democrats, a proposal to freeze spending earmarks for a year failed Tuesday. Sens. Dick Durbin and Roland Burris opposed the reform measure.

• The Charlottesville Daily Progress - Earmarks need transparency

  What to do about earmarks? Public condemnation of lawmakers’ practice of personally sponsoring large awards of tax money to questionable projects has produced some reforms. The process is now a bit more transparent, and — hopefully as a result — there have been some small declines in the amount of money awarded.

• The Echo Press - Editorial - Open government records to Internet

  Every day, the federal government releases vast amounts of useful information about every aspect of our nation and how government works. This public information has a deep impact on almost every aspect of American life. Some of it can be used to hold our elected officials accountable for their actions, or have a profound effect on health, economic development and commerce. The problem is, much of this government information is too often hard to find, difficult to understand, expensive to obtain in useful formats, and available in only a few locations.

• The St. Louis Dispatch - Earmarks: The pork that defies reform.

  Here’s an issue the United States Senate had no trouble mustering a filibuster-proof majority for: earmarks.

• The Californian - Editorial: Improve access to city leaders on the Web

  Open government. It's a phrase getting a lot of attention these days, especially this week during Sunshine Week. Sunshine Week is an annual call for more transparency in government; it is devoted to encouraging public access to government information and inspiring more citizens to go after it.

• The Casper Star-Tribune - Bill enhances goals of Sunshine Week

  Sunshine Week is an important event in newsrooms around the country, including the Star-Tribune's. But it should be just as noteworthy to every American, since it focuses on the public's right to know. The week, which officially ends Saturday, is an initiative that's been spearheaded by the American Society of News Editors since 2005. Its goal is to educate the public about the importance of open government and the dangers of excessive and unnecessary secrecy.

• Glen Falls Post Star - Editorial: Good, bad news on sunshine front

  Halfway through Sunshine Week, we're getting some positive news and some not-so-positive news about the public's right to know. Let's start with the most pressing news, which happens to be negative. Really negative.

• Summit Daily News - Editorial: Let the sunshine in

  Those with an interest in government transparency know that, even in today's broader and more scattered media landscape, newspapers are typically at the forefront of pressing government to keep the books open. This is “Sunshine Week,” a time of year promoted by the American Association of Newspaper Editors to remind Americans what we have a right to know, and it's a good time to underscore the fact that even a small community like Summit County is not immune to breaches in the Freedom of Information Act — as well as what can be maddening examples of information roadblocks both deliberate and unintentional.

• Advertiser-Tribune - The time has come for online disclosure

  Today's guest column supplied by Sunlight Foundation argues for the federal government to "proactively" disclose public information online. The state of Ohio has taken a helpful step toward that goal by not only publishing Ohio's open government laws, but a companion Sunshine Laws Manual - and making both available online.

• The St. Joseph News-Press - Our opinion: Openness requires access

  Unless you are among the handful of folks living “off the grid,” government is a big part of your life. You pay taxes, rely on government to keep the peace and ensure the safety of what you eat, and tolerate everything from Census questionnaires to airport screenings.

• Nashua Telegraph - Unlocking data in Washington

  During the presidential campaign of 2008, it was not usual for then-candidate Barack Obama to talk about transparency and the importance of open government. So it shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise that on his first full day in office, the president issued a memorandum to the heads of all executive departments restoring the original presumption of disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, a reversal from the previous administration.

• The Plain Dealer - Sunshine Week is good time to remember that a democratic government needs to open its records and proceedings to the people in whose name it exists: editorial

  The start of the decennial census, noted elsewhere on this page, is a reminder that governments collect a lot of information about almost every aspect of American life -- from basic demographics and health data to details about foreign trade and the activities of lobbyists. Some of this information is proprietary; others of it bear on the national security and can't be widely shared.

• The Bemidji Pioneer - Pioneer Guest Editorial: Open government records to Internet

  Every day, the federal government releases vast amounts of useful information about every aspect of our nation and how government works. This public information has a deep impact on almost every aspect of American life. Some of it can be used to hold our elected officials accountable for their actions, or have a profound effect on health, economic development and commerce. The problem is, much of this government information is too often hard to find, difficult to understand, expensive to obtain in useful formats, and available in only a few locations.

• The Desert Sun - Openness in government is crucial to our nation's future

  This week is Sunshine Week, dedicated to freedom of expression, open meetings, open records and transparency in how the government spends your money. The Desert Sun will take a long look at the campaign for openness today and share the views of others throughout the week.

• Merced Sun-Star - Our View: Reform earmarks back to 1994

  U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock, a Republican who represents a district that stretches from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada to the Oregon border, has been nothing if not consistent on earmarks, those funds that members of Congress request for specific projects.

• The Bristol Press - OUR VIEW: The political secrets of a group with money

  You’ve seen the commercials: U.S. House Bill 4173, already passed in the lower chamber, now headed for the U.S. Senate, is going to lead to another bailout for the fat cats. Really?

• The Washington Post - Two Democrats' remedy for the high court's campaign finance ruling

  THERE IS no simple legislative fix to the Supreme Court's unfortunate recent decision allowing corporations to spend money directly advocating the election or defeat of federal candidates. The court's 5-4 decision was grounded in the First Amendment; consequently, the congressional response is inevitably limited. Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) unveiled an important proposal last week designed to address the most fixable aspects of the ruling in time for the 2010 election.

• The Sacramento Bee - Editorial: Earmark reform is a worthy cause

  Rep. Tom McClintock, a Republican who represents the congressional district that stretches from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe and from the Sierra Nevada to the Oregon border, has been nothing if not consistent on earmarks. These are funds that members of Congress request for specific projects. McClintock signed a "no earmarks" pledge in 2008, and he has kept to that.

• Times Union - A few checks on influence

  Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has opened the floodgates on political spending by corporations and unions, the challenge is to find a way to live with the new law of the land. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer seek to do that in separate proposals that at least would force companies to fully disclose how much they spend on elections, and to whose benefit.

• The Sheboygan Press - Editorial: Let's shed more light on earmarks

  When Barack Obama campaigned for the presidency in 2008, he promised that his administration would be transparent to the American public. He has made some strides in this regard, but most notably let taxpayers down when he didn't insist that the talks between House and Senate leaders on a compromise health care bill be televised by C-SPAN.

• The Washington Examiner - Sunlight memo to Congress: Here's how to do earmark disclosure

  President Obama's remarks during last State of the Union address included an admonition to Congress to change the way it discloses earmarks, by putting all of the information about every earmark on one web site that is easily accessible to the public.

• The New York Times - What Price Politics?

  A binge of special interest money seems inevitable unless Congress acts quickly — before this year’s election — to repair the damage from the Supreme Court ruling that ended restraints on campaign spending by corporations and unions.

• Victorville Daily Press - Let the Internet shine

  “The legislative process is one of horse trading and compromises. If you put that all on camera all of the time, nothing would get done.” -Ellen Miller

• The St. Louis Dispatch - High-speed wail: A bridge to the 19th century

  Amid great fanfare, the Obama administration last week announced plans to spend $13 billion in “seed money” for 13 high-speed rail projects around the country — $8 billion in stimulus funding now with a promise to seek $5 billion more over the next five years. Among the projects being funded is the St. Louis-to-Chicago route, which will receive $1.1 billion. A relative pittance of $31 million went to Missouri to upgrade service between St. Louis and Kansas City.

• The Journal Star - Now require quick, full disclosure

  Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has loosened restrictions against political advertising by corporations and unions, the need for quick, timely reporting on political contributions and spending has become even more imperative. The Journal Star Editorial Board figuratively threw up its hands a year ago, frustrated with the continuing failure of laws that attempt to limit campaign spending.

• Glen Falls Post Star - Editorial: Earmarks need easier access

  As President Obama spent more than a hour trying to sell Congress on his plan to rein in government spending, perhaps one paragraph of his speech could have the biggest impact on citizens learning how their tax dollars are actually being spent. The president on Wednesday called on all members of Congress to post their earmark requests online, in a single place, so that the citizens can easily find out what kind of projects their representatives are seeking federal tax money for.

• San Francisco Chronicle - Elusive pledge of U.S. government transparency

  Transparency, it turns out, is anything but transparent. President Obama is finding it embarrassingly hard to live up to his open-government pledges.

• Chambersburg Public Opinion - Editorial: By all means, go ahead and keep an eye on them

  At a time when many people remain hyper-sensitive to tax increases and government spending, we can't imagine a better use for the Internet than the Sunlight Foundation's online database that tracks the spending of all members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit, hosts the searchable database at http://sunlightfoundation.com/projects/2009/expenditures.

• The Herald-Dispatch - Thumbs down: Partisanship limits openness

  Ideally, when the U.S. Senate and U.S. House pass different versions of legislation with the same intent, a conference committee with representatives from each chamber works out the differences, with those discussions occurring in public.