At our recent unconference, Transparency Camp, we went around and asked participants why they care about government transparency – here’s... View Article
Continue readingIntroducing Recovery Explorer
More than a year has passed since President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Federal agencies have been distributing some $787 billion appropriated by the act to jump start the economy. According to Recovery.gov, the Web site that tracks spending under the act, about 40 percent of that money has been spent, sent around the country in the form of contracts, grants, loans, tax benefits and entitlements.
The huge spending bill included funds for a mechanism to track spending under the bill, but getting a sense of which agencies have awarded the most money, or which ...
Revolving Door Staffer Rebuked, Permanently Banned From Talking to Committee Staff
Earlier this week, Peter Roberson, a top staffer on the House Financial Services Committee, jumped ship to lobby for Intercontinental... View Article
Continue readingStimulus Spotlight: What we’re finding in Recovery.gov data
A research group that played a key role in the Manhattan Project is one of the biggest recipients of contracts from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Battelle Memorial Institute, a non-profit based in Columbus, Ohio, co-manages research and innovative technologies for the Department of Energy. Four separate arms of the organization have received more than $844 million. Two of them, UT Battelle and Brookhaven Science Associates, were set up with universities as 50-50 partnerships for research purposes.
According to recent Recovery.gov data, the organization used stimulus funds to support 142 jobs in the last quarter of 2009.
The ...
Introducing MFNCMS
As you know, Sunlight Labs has never been a fan of the Content Management System-- we think that overall, they're too clunky and get in the way of an organization's real objective. Putting content online. We started asking ourselves-- is there an easier way? Could we figure out a more agile, nimble way to do things.
Continue readingStupak 11 post: What we got wrong
We set out to look at how leadership--of both parties--persuades rank and file members to vote their way. In the 111th Congress, we've seen enormous discipline on both sides of the aisle on a series of high profile votes. Our hunch is that the leadership of both parties has something to do with that, and understanding what levers they have--whether it's funding earmarks, supporting their campaigns with money, appearing at fundraisers or through other means that we still can't track with the current state of congressional disclosure--is something we want to follow in the coming months.
We ...
Recovery.gov: Stop with the Data Defense, Start with the Conversation
This week's Recovery.gov "Chairman's Corner" reminds me of my first soccer game. At 5 years old, I was so excited to get the ball passed to me. I was so focused on keeping my eye on that ball just like my Dad told me. And as I dribbled it down the field I was thrilled to hear my parents scream in support. I was amazed at how good I was at this game-- nobody from the other team was blocking me and own teammates seemed to be flapping their arms encouraging me to take the shot! As I reached the end of the field, I grinned and gave that ball the kick of a lifetime, only to watch it fly by my own goalie's quizzical face.
Devaney's post is a defensive one, speaking to criticism from who he calls "journalists and Internet grouches," and an attempt to "bury the urban legends about the Board and the recovery program." Most of the critiques came out about six months ago, in October, when the data was released.
Continue readingCorrection and update on our Stupak 11 Post
We have made more corrections to the report we did on the Stupak 11. First, the simpler errors. We have learned that there are additional errors in the spreadsheet we posted along with the story--there were a total of four numbers that were overstated by a factor of ten. This led to us erroneously listing Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper among the five members whose earmark request totals increased for fiscal year 2011--her earmark requests actually declined. We deeply regret the error, and thank Rep. Dahlkemper for pointing it out.
We also overstated on the spreadsheet Rep. Steven Dreihaus's earmarks--the correct ...
PBS On A Wired White House (w/Sunlight Live cameo appearance)
PBS Newshour ran a report on the use of new media by the White House and their supporters. The program... View Article
Continue readingIn the year 2000…
The Senate Finance Committee, perhaps the most powerful committees in Congress, finally updated their web site. I emphasize finally for... View Article
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