Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Transparency 3/1/11

Happy March everyone! 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:

  • In the first six weeks of the 112th Congress, Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, has held numerous hearings and engaged in broad oversight. Politico
  • Rep. Darrell Issa, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has staffed his team with people who have close ties to industries that could potentially benefit from his investigations. Center for Public Integrity
  • Two years after its launch, Recovery.gov has failed to deliver on Obama’s promise of using the website to create a million citizen inspector generals and let the public be the eyes and ears of stimulus oversight. Tech President
  • GAO finds billions in government waste due to duplicated efforts by government agencies. Center for Public Integrity
  • 38 groups have signed a letter sent to James Billington, Librarian of Congress, urging him to appoint a Congressional Research Service (CRS) director who will work with Congress to allow free, online public access to CRS reports. Project on Government Oversight
  • CEO of Koch Industries, Charles Koch, says his activism is aimed at helping federal, state, and local governments avoid drowning in their increasing debt. He says that his family and his company are “determined to keep contributing and standing up for those politicians, like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who are taking these challenges seriously.” Politico
  • New York City opened its new centralized IT data center yesterday. The center will save the city $100 million by housing the infrastructure for 19 government agencies over the next year and that of over 40 agencies over the next five years. Government Technology
  • New White House Press Secretary Jay Carney has adopted his predecessor’s Twitter handle, @PressSec. It remains to be seen whether he will use the account to collect questions and answer them via video the way Gibbs did. Tech President
  • Rep. Bobby Rush has been named in almost two dozen lawsuits since the 1980s, mainly for being sued over contract disputes and unpaid bills. Due to the specificities of Congressional reporting requirements, Rep. Rush does not need to disclose these controversies in his financial reports. Roll Call $

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 3/1:

  • None.

Relevant bills introduced:

  • None.

Transparency events scheduled for 3/1:

  • None.
Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Sunlight 2/28/2011

Here is a look at what happened recently on the Sunlight network.

  • Paul Blumenthal began the day with several transparency related headlines including details of White House press secretary Jay Carney dodging questions on offsite lobbying meetings with White House officials, Boeing’s return on lobbying investment to the tune of a 64,000% increase, and more. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • Nicko Margolies included a roundup of Sunlight’s Middle East protests and their lobbying background. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • Laurenellen McCann blogged on the survey results for TransparencyCamp, breaking down the many stats and including a fascinating map of where the survey responses came in from. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • Take a look at the previous day’s transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency related events. (The Open House Project)
Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Transparency 2/28/11

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

News Roundup:

  • Two white papers released by the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy assert that the key factors for developing a more open and transparent democracy include increasing broadband access and ensuring a consistent flow of government data into online communities. Tech President
  • The Commission on Wartime Contracting is pushing Defense Department leaders and Congress to decrease dependence on contractors, improve management of contracted programs, and increase spending oversight. Federal TimesCommission on Wartime Contracting
  • Pro-Israel organization J Street began its annual conference and lobbying effort this week. The Hill
  • Former Republican leader Trent Lott, now a senior adviser at Patton Boggs, is still very influential on the hill. Roll Call $
  • San Francisco’s Chief Information Officer has left to replace Beth Noveck as White House Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Innovation. Tech President
  • According to an analysis of public records conducted by ChicagoTalks, a news website produced by Columbia College Chicago, Mayor Daley’s tax increment financing program gave big tax breaks to major downtown businesses while ignoring other neighborhoods. The New York Times
  • After OMB’s success fixing IT systems using techstats, Federal CIO Vivek Kundra says the White House is planning to use cyberstats as a more intense form of oversight to fix security holes in agency networks. Federal News Radio
  • According to Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra, the White House is advocating for a dramatic, disruptive shift in Information Technology strategy which would move federal strategy away from asset ownership and towards service provisioning. Federal Computer Week

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 2/28-3/4:

  • None.

Relevant bills introduced:

  • None.

Transparency events scheduled for 2/28-3/4:

Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Sunlight 2/25/2011

Here is a look at what happened yesterday on the Sunlight network.

  • Paul Blumenthal began the day with several transparency related headlines including news that Facebook is expanding its lobbying practice, new Crossroads GPS ads, and more. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • John Wonderlich looked at the flaws in the White House visitor logs regarding real-time, online disclosure of lobbying activity. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • Scott Stadum blogged on his pick for his Tools for Transparency, the user-friendly and accessible data-sharing service Socrata. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • John Wonderlich detailed how new White House Press Secretary Jay Carney dodged questions on whether the White House is transparent enough regarding lobbying disclosure. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • Eric Mill released updates to the Congress App for Anroid, noting that version 3.0 adds a redesigned theme as well as live updates from the floor, upcoming committee hearings in the House and Senate, and more. (Sunlight Labs Blog)
  • Tom Lee blogged on the Data Viz Challenge sponsored by Google and Eyebeam to visualize the federal budget. (Sunlight Labs Blog)
  • Keenan Steiner reported that members of Congress are using getaways and sports events to fundraiser for their respective re-elections. (Party Time Blog)
  • Take a look at the previous day’s transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency related events. (The Open House Project)
Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Transparency 2/25/11

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

News Roundup:

  • After an intense lobbying campaign, Boeing defeated European Aeronautic Defence and Space to win a $35 billion contract to build aerial tankers for the Air Force. The HillPolitico
  • According to Gen. David Petraeus, the Pentagon is preparing to investigate allegations that a top U.S. commander in Afghanistan ordered a “psychological operations” team in Afghanistan to manipulate visiting members of Congress into working to increase troops and funding for the war there. Politico
  • Mayors across the country are hoping that newly elected Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel will lobby President Obama on behalf of local communities. The Hill
  • Top Democrat on the Ethics Committee, Rep. Linda Sanchez (CA), neglected to report mortgage details and a home-equity line on her congressionally required financial disclosure forms. Politico
  • After a prank phone call from a Buffalo Beast reporter pretending to be wealthy funder David Koch, many are concerned Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is guilty of breaking Wisconsin’s strict ethics rules. PR Watch
  • Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) , subpoenaed two Department of Homeland Security officials who are responsible for its Freedom of Information Act requests. The HillPolitico
  • Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has established a new legal defense fund to help him fight his Texas money laundering conviction. Politico
  • The Wisconsin State Assembly passed Gov. Scott Walker’s budget bill in a 51-17 vote. Wall Street Journal
  • A new report by the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan shows that federal contract waste, fraud, and abuse can” run into the tens of billions” for contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Project on Government Oversight
  • A Freedom of Information Act request submitted by the New York Post shows that the Securities and Exchange Commission has received 168 tips since the start of it’s new whistleblower bounty program last July. Main Justice
  • As legislators pursue budget cuts, they are realizing that many federal programs fall into a gray zone, somewhere between “worthy and wasteful.” Washington Post
  • AmericaSpeaks founder and president, Carolyn Lukensmeyer, suggests ways to take the best in-person communications strategies and apply them to the web to increase public engagement. Federal News Radio
  • With the increase in data being collected through streaming, government officials will need to redesign their data management strategies. Federal Computer Week
  • Rick Wiley has been hired as the Republican National Committee’s new political director. Roll Call $

Relevant bills introduced:

  • None.

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 2/25:

  • None.

Transparency events scheduled for 2/25:

Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Sunlight 2/24/2011

Here is a look at what happened yesterday on the Sunlight network.

  • Paul Blumenthal began the day with several transparency related headlines including news that U.S. companies lobbied to keep Libyan market open for business, word that the Koch brothers open a lobby shop in Madison, Wisconsin, and more. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • Nancy Watzman looked at the powerful money behind the infant formula industry after Rep. Michele Bachmann criticized Michelle Obama for announcing that she would work to encourage breastfeeding as part of her campaign against childhood obesity. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • Paul Blumenthal reported that American companies lobbied to keep Libyan market open for business, particularly after the opening of a new Foreign Commercial Service office in Tripoli in 2008. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • Ellen Miller announced that she is among the twenty five recipients of Government Technology’s award for “Doers, Dreamers & Drivers in Public Sector Innovation.” (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • Nicole Aro announced the game “Capitol Defense”, a HTML5 game to protect the capitol by lobbing snowballs at lobbyists and special interests. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • Paul Blumenthal detailed the lobbying history of Facebook, noting that the company has recently hired the firm Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock, a firm close to Republicans, as well as the firm Elmendorf Strategies, which has close conncetions to Democratic leadership. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • Melanie Buck announced the move of the Day in Transparency and the Day in Sunlight from the Open House Project to the newly launched Advisory Committee on Transparency. (The Open House Project)
  • Take a look at the previous day’s transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency related events. (The Open House Project)
Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Transparency 2/24/11

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

News Roundup:

  • White House staffers often schedule meetings with lobbyists in meeting rooms located outside of the White House where there are no visitor logs or records kept. (Politico)
  • New redistricting software, Esri Redevelopment, will enable state and local governments, advocacy groups and citizens to create official, regulation-compliant plans and share them directly with specific stakeholders and the public. (Government Technology)
  • The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal challenging Washington’s campaign finance disclosure law, letting stand a Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling upholding state disclosure requirements for political committees, independent expenditures and political advertising. (Lobby Comply Blog)
  • A group of over one hundred lawyers from across the country has asked Congress to develop an ethical code of conduct for the Supreme Court and indicate when individual justices should recuse themselves. (The Washington Post)
  • 82 out of the 87 Senators who stayed in office into the 112th Congress have confirmed that they did not place a secret hold on the Whisteblower Protection Enhancement Act, leaving only five options left: Sens. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), James Risch (R-ID), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), and David Vitter (R-LA). (Government Accountability Project)
  • A new study from ForeSee Results found that a quarter of federal websites surveyed rated high in online transparency, which also correlated with high ratings for customer satisfaction and participation. (Federal Computer Week)
  • Thee largest Californian municipality without a system for monitoring and disclosing lobbying activity, Orange County, has passed a new law requiring lobbyist registration starting July 1, 2011. (Lobby Comply Blog)

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 2/24:

  • None.

Relevant bills introduced:

  • None.

Transparency events scheduled for 2/24:

Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Sunlight 2/23/2011

Here is a look at what happened yesterday on the Sunlight network.

  • Paul Blumenthal began the day with several transparency headlines including how the shifting budget landscape is leading to changes in the types of hires sought on K Street, reports that aircraft companies are clashing in lobbying battles, and more. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • Ellen Miller blogged on how companies are moving toward disclosure, but noting what more can be done in the wake of Citizens United to improve disclosure laws. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • Nancy Watzman reported that the toy industry is pushing to weaken the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in part by defunding a new database that would allow consumers to go online and report an incident with a product they think is unsafe. (Sunlight Reporting Group)
  • Keenan Steiner noted that former Rep. Allen Boyd’s new job at the Twenty First Century Group has been host to several fundraisers for him. (Party Time Blog)
  • Tom Lee announced two openings in Sunlight Labs, both developer positions with one specializing on the Subsidyscope project and the other for a jack/jill-of-all-trades. (Sunlight Labs Blog)
  • Take a look at the previous day’s transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency related events. (The Open House Project)
Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Transparency 2/23/11

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

News Roundup:

  • Without ever using the term “earmarks,” Sens. Boxer (D-CA) and Inhofe (R-OK) sent a letter to colleagues requesting that they “provide… specific project and programmatic requests you would like considered for inclusion” in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), a multiyear authorization bill. (The Hill)
  • Sen. Grassley (R-IA) uploaded a YouTube video advocating for federal judges in trials and appeals to be able to choose to film what happens inside their courtrooms. (Tech President)
  • The Wisconsin Assembly stayed overnight as a Democrat-led filibuster attempted to block the Republican governor’s plan to eliminate public sector workers’ bargaining rights. (Washington Times)
  • DefendWisconsin.org, a website set up by labor activists, was blocked from the Wisconsin State Capitol guest WiFi network for some time. (Tech President)
  • Civic Commons’ Code for America project, an inititative to set up a system encouraging the use of open-source software in government, is beginning to take shape. (Tech President)
  • Nextgov has compiled a few dozen official federal twitter feeds in one place. (Next Gov)
  • Documents and e-mails suggest that over the past few months the Chamber of Commerce law firm, Hunton & Williams, has been working with a task force consisting of three cyber-intelligence firms and calling itself Team Themis to develop a plan to discredit critics of the Chamber such as the U.S. Chamber Watch. (Politico)
  • The Sunlight Foundation has released “Capitol Defense,” an online game that allows citizens to virtually fight special interests. (Project on Government Oversight)*
  • Chinese officials have increased internet control as they attempt to prevent the atmosphere of revolution from spreading into the country. (Tech President)
  • Experts caution Obama to take the time to think through any government reorganization plans. (Federal Computer Week)
  • Numerous advocacy groups including Free Press, Media Access Project, Media Mobilizing Project, and Public Knowledge filed motions in Verizon’s lawsuit against the FCC, arguing that the lawsuit poses a threat to the FCC’s ability to protect an open Internet. (Next Gov)
  • Lawyers counsel legislators to stay silent on the topic of redistricting. (Politico)
  • Opinion: The Obama administration’s Open Government Directive has accomplished a lot, but there is much more to be done. These ten steps are critical to achieving open government success. (Information Week)
  • Opinion: The National Archives and Records Administration attempts at maintaining digital archives is failing. (Federal Computer Week)

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 2/23:

  • None.

Relevant bills introduced:

  • None.

Transparency events scheduled for 2/23:

*The Advisory Committee on Transparency is coordinated by the Sunlight Foundation.

Posted on by Daniel Schuman

The Day In Sunlight 2/22/2011

Here is a look at what happened recently on the Sunlight network.

  • Paul Blumenthal began the day with several transparency headlines including questioning how public is public data, Chamber of Commerce organizing lobbying for a South Korea trade deal, and more. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • Zubedah Nanfuka included the round-up of transparency bloggers, this time focusing on transparency efforts in California, Illinois, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Michigan. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • Lindsay Young detailed the American lobbying history of Libya and Algeria, two countries experiencing protests against dictatorial rulers. (Sunlight Foundation Blog)
  • Nancy Watzman reported on who has been meeting with Elizabeth Warren, leader of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, noting that she has had more meetings with individuals outside the goverment in December than any other Treasury official working on implementation of the Dodd-Frank financial law. (Sunlight Reporting Group)
  • Take a look at the previous day’s transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency related events. (The Open House Project)