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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.
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Here’s an issue the United States Senate had no trouble mustering a filibuster-proof majority for: earmarks.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Ellen Miller, the executive director of the Sunlight Foundation, on MSNBC's Morning Meeting with Dylan Ratigan to discuss the recent Public Online Information Act alongside Rep. Steve Israel:
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Senator Daniel Inouye made a statement against an amendment to eliminate earmarks on the floor of the Senate and quoted the Sunlight Foundation's editorial director, Bill Allison.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Spring draws nigh. This year, one thing is certain: We'll feel like we earned it, after the beating we took this winter.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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At last month's White House health care summit, John McCain accused his 2008 presidential rival of cutting a shady deal to get a reform bill passed.