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2Day in #OpenGov 10/18/2011

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Take a look at Tuesday's transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup:
Government
  • Members of Congress often receive superior customer service and other perks from major companies. Expedited cable and internet service and the ability to book seats on multiple planes while only paying for one flight, are just two examples. (Roll Call$)
  • The quickest way to key committee posts and power in Congress may be to raise a lot of money. Members of powerful committees are expected to donate large sums to party organizations and decision makers. (AlterNet/The Washington Spectator)
  • The National Archive and Records Administration's Chief Archivist, David Ferriero, has spoken up for open and transparent government. He believes that strong records management is the key to openness. (Fierce Government)
  • A new GAO report shows that the average tenure of Federal chief information officers has settled at around two years. Information executives agree that instituting major organizational or policy changes would require 3 to 5 years. (Nextgov)
Campaign Finance
  • Healthcare companies, who are interested in seeing the Super Committee fail, have donated large sums of money to the committee's members. (The Hill)
  • Over the past 4 years more than 90 political campaigns have sold or rented their donor contact lists, raising millions of dollars. The lists are primarily rented to other campaigns, PACs, and foundations. Major beneficiaries of the practice include the campaigns of President Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain. (Roll Call$)
Lobbying and Advocacy
  • The National Association of Letter Carriers is building up its team as it works to save the USPS. It has hired President Obama's former "Car Czar", Ron Bloom, and the investment bank Lazard, which specializes in overhauling complex and financially troubled institution. The association wants to innovate and find new ways to build business at the USPS. (Government Executive)
State and Local
  • A law passed decades ago in Wisconsin could have major repercussions on the effort to recall Governor Scott Walker. The law allows public officials subject to a recall to raise unlimited funds during the time that signatures to force the recall are being collected. (Lobby Comply)
  • The Torrance, CA City Council is considering an overhaul of its ethics regulations. If adopted, ethics rules would extend to candidates for elected office. (Lobby Comply)

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2Day in #OpenGov 10/17/2011

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Jump into Monday with a look at the week's transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup:

Super Committee 
  • Dave Camp (R-MI) has raised more than $475,000 since joining the Super Committee. Among industries facing cuts, healthcare interests paid him the most attention. He also received sizable amounts from the petroleum and agriculture lobbies. (The Hill)
  • Members of the Super Committee have opened up to praise the relationship between co-chairs Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Jeb Hensarling (R-TX). Their amicable relationship could bode well for the committee's chances at success. (Politico)
Government
  • The White House is refusing to hand over internal communications about Solyndria, including President Obama's BlackBerry messages, to House investigators. (Politico)
  • San Francisco has a new public financing fund for mayoral elections. It is intended to help minor candidates compete and limit the influence of large donors. Unfortunately, it may also encourage hopeless candidates and waste taxpayer money. (New York Times)
  • Many government agencies are taking to social media, especially Facebook, but some have been more successful than others. (Government Technology)
  • Maps and GIS data should be an important part of government transparency and accountability efforts. (govfresh)
  • House Democrats are fighting efforts by Republicans to phase out the Election Assistance Commission. Democrats claim that shuttering the EAC would increase the cost of elections and decrease transparency, while Republicans argue that the commission has fulfilled its purpose. (The Hill)
Presidential Candidates
  • Herman Cain is refusing to name his economic or foreign policy advisers. He claims that he doesn't want them exposed to criticism. (National Journal)

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2Day in #OpenGov 10/14/2011

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It's Friday, which means this is your last chance this week to read about transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup:

Technology
  • The British parliament voted down a proposal to ban the use of Twitter while in the House of Commons. Opponents of the legislation rely on Twitter to stay up to date and communicate with their constituents. (AP/Yahoo)
  • Code for America has announced their city and fellow selections for 2012. The program brings together local governments and developers to collaborate on innovative IT projects. (Government Technology)
  • YouTown, a mobile app aimed at connecting citizens with their local governments, is now available for iPhone and Android devices. (govfresh)
  • The USAjobs relaunch is continuing to struggle. The site is still experiencing major issues, but signs of hope are beginning to emerge. (Federal Computer Week)
Campaign Finance
  • President Obama raised more than $40 million for his reelection campaign in the third quarter, outstripping the entire Republican field. But, it remains to be seen how long this advantage will hold, or how much effect it will have. (Washington Post)
  • Michelle Bachmann announced that she received donations from 92,000 individuals last quarter, but refused to cite a specific fundraising total. The FEC will release final numbers this weekend. (National Journal)
Government
  • The Iowa government has started posting a list of open records requests online. The new system is intended to strengthen government transparency. (Government Technology)
  • A former Immigration and Customs Enforcement employee pleaded guilty to stealing at least $70,000 in a receipt forging and kickbacks scheme. The investigation is ongoing, involves at least 2 more ICE employees, and reaches as far up as the agency's former acting intelligence chief. (Washington Post)
  • The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee passed legislation to make federal advisory committees more transparent. The "Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments of 2011" now awaits action by the full House. (POGO)

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2Day in #OpenGov 10/13/2011

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Here is Thursday's look at the transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup:

Super Committee 
  • The Super Committee has been reluctant to share information with the public. But, that hasn't stopped some people close to the committee from speaking about it off the record. (Politico)
  • House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has released deficit-cutting ideas that Democratic committee ranking members will be delivering to the Super Committee tomorrow. She also called on the committee to hold open hearings on previous deficit plans including the Simpson-Bowles, Rivlin-Domenici, and "Gang of Six" proposals. (National Journal)
Campaign Finance
  • American Crossroads, a major conservative Super PAC, is seeking permission to feature Federal candidates and officeholders in their ads. The PAC claims a precedent has already been set by "issue ads" featuring Senator Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) that the Democratic party has been running. (Washington Post)
  • Former Senator Norm Coleman will be leading a new Super PAC dedicated to electing Republican candidates to the House of Representatives. The Congressional Leadership Fund is designed to counter the efforts of the Democratic House Majority PAC. (Politico)
Government
  • Darrell Issa stated, at a Transparency Caucus event, that he would move whistleblower protection legislation before the end of the year. The proposal he discussed would mirror a plan by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and aim to provide protections for members of the intelligence community. (POGO)
  • The relaunch of USAjobs.gov that we mentioned yesterday appears to be off to a shaky start. The program's Facebook page has been inundated with complaints. (Federal Computer Week)
State and Local
  • Open government data is making it easier to search for vacant and abandoned buildings in the Chicago area. ChicagoBuildings.org uses 311 reports to create a searchable map of properties. (Gov 2.0)
  • The Cook County, Illinois government is banking on a new open data website to transform their image as a hive of corruption and villainy. (Government Technology)

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