Last Chance to Win $250
September 30, 2009 by Kristinpedia
Filed under sunshine review
Today marks the last day you can fill out Sunshine Review’s survey and enter for a chance to win $250!
Some ideas on how to spend $250 dollars:
- Down payment on a Chanel purse. Only 10 more to go!
- Go visit the American Liberty Tour in Tallahassee.
- Buy Michael Moore 250 cheeseburgers from McDonalds.
- Get an awesome Founding Fathers costume for Halloween.
- Pay a mascot to protest your issue of the day.
- Send Sam Adams a birthday card. You remembered, right?
A New Army of Messengers
September 29, 2009 by Jayme Siemer
Filed under Sunshine Review
With the passing of several conservative communications giants this year, many people are looking around to find new voices to articulate those thoughts in a persuasive way. To assist in this process, the Sam Adams Alliance will use some of our blog space to highlight commentary from movers-and-shakers from different areas of the free-market realm, including policy-makers, researchers, elected officials, government watchdogs, activists, and concerned citizens.
Hearing something you like from a new messenger? Email us at info@samadamsalliance.org.
Special Delivery from NTU!
September 25, 2009 by Jayme Siemer
Filed under Sunshine Review
Do you have a health care message for Congress? Let NTU deliver it for you!
Inspired by the activists they met at the 9/12 rally, the National Taxpayers Union has launched a new project to deliver the health care stories of Americans all across the country directly to Congress:
…we’re asking YOU to send us a short video with a message to your Members of Congress about why big government is not the solution to our health care woes. We will then burn each and every one of those videos to DVD and personally deliver them to your Members of Congress. For the most compelling messages, well even schedule meetings with Congressional staff to show the video and discuss the issue. We hope that this project will allow a citizens voice to be heard in a way that emails and faxes could never approximate.
Let your voice be heard!
Let’s Bail Out 8-track Manufacturers, Too
September 24, 2009 by Diana Lopez
Filed under Sunshine Review
Before MP3s, CDs, or cassette tapes, there were 8-tracks. But you don’t hear much about 8-tracks anymore, unless someone is being nostalgic or making a point.
What happened? In one word: competition. The emergence of cassette tapes, and the 8-tracks inability to compete, made the format obsolete. The reliability of early cassettes and the quality of the sound meant that 8-tracks had an advantage, but cassettes caught up and 8-tracks stayed the same. There was little reason to stick to the rigidity of of 8-tracks.
Same with Laserdisc. The “exciting” technology had higher quality image than its rivals. However, Laserdiscs cost more than VHS, and manufacturers refused to market recordable Laserdisc devices. The format died out because it refused to be flexible and cater to consumer’s needs.
Sound familiar?
President Obama is now hinting at giving newspapers a bailout. Why? He fears that only opinionated blogs will report news.
As far as the problem with “opinionated” perspectives, John Stossel makes a good point in Reason Magazine today summarized in the subtitle of the article, “Every reporter has political beliefs“. So whether you get a reporter or a blogger won’t make a difference—they’re going to be opinionated. But there certainly isn’t a shortage of news.
Consumers expect more, and different, and cheaper news than newspapers are currently providing. Of course, the old media formats make us feel nostalgic. (I don’t need to feel nostalgic, because I have a Laserdisc player at home.) But the question is, are they necessary?
That question could be best solved by looking at the progress of music and video delivery. Did music cease to exist because 8-tracks did? No, in fact, we now have more choices in portable music formats than ever, and formats that allow us to edit and make our own music. Was the quality of video threatened when people stopped buying Laserdisc? Hardly, and again, we have choices and editable formats as to how we receive our video.
Newspapers can survive if they learn from 8-tracks and Laserdisc: they need to remain reliable, meet the quality and timing of online news, and become responsive to consumer’s needs. This is why blogs flourished. Regardless, there is no danger in newspapers going bankrupt. Newspapers existed to solve a problem, and that was the problem of how to relay information across varying groups and locations. But those were different times. Now we have the internet, and people willing to take on the task of providing commentary and news on their own times. A bailout for newspapers is certainly not necessary to keep citizens informed.
10 Weird Things on Government Websites
September 22, 2009 by Kristinpedia
Filed under sunshine review
Sunshine Review has been crawling over government websites for over a year now. Ranking government websites according to our transparency checklist has led us running into some weird stuff posted on government websites.
Here is our Top 10:
- Powell County, Kentucky FAQ – “Can I name a road after myself?”
- Brookings County, South Dakota doubled their gopher bounty from $1 to $2.
- Neshoba County, Mississippi posts their Crossbow Application.
- Putnam County, New York teaches how to capture a bat in your home.
- Arlington, Texas has a directory of “known dangerous dogs.”
- Allen County, Indiana posts their “Featured” Allen County Warrants.
- The only interactive part of the website for Edwards County, Kansas are movie times.
- Brighton, Michigan passed an ordiance against being “excessively” annoying.
- Honking your horn at a sandwich shop after 9 pm in Little Rock, Arkansas is illegal.
- In Chicago, Illinois is is illegal to fish while sitting on a giraffe’s neck.
Let’s here your story by posting it on Sunshine Review.
Keep your cool, get information
September 17, 2009 by Diana Lopez
Filed under sunshine review
The Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, exists to help citizens ask for records of their states and local governments, as well as the federal government.
There are a few things to know about making requests that will help you succeed. For example, it helps to be as specific as possible: instead of saying you want records for the last five year, ask for records since January 1, 2004. There are many resources online with other tips, and be sure to check out WikiFOIA on Sunshine Review.
But once you know these tips about drafting a request, communicating with information officers and their secretaries can try your patience.
During our Back-to-School project, I made calls to school district information officers and superintendents to ask questions and follow up on requests. These calls were mostly routine, polite, and fast. One, however, proved a little more difficult. The information officer for Marion County Schools in Florida had no time for my call, and was offended by my undated request. Every portion of my request seemed to be a burden, and because I wasn’t prepared for this attitude, I lost track of my thoughts ended up having to call his office three times.
In order to make the best out of that situation, here are some tips on talking with FOIA officials, so that you are prepared when you have a run-in with a less-than helpful FOIA officer:
1. Have a copy of the request in front of you, so that you are prepared when the person on the phone references it.
2. Know the state’s specific open records policy. Some states waive fees if the information will be used to inform the public, and most states have limits as to what governments can charge for documents.
3. Do your research. During one call with a school district, the information officer told me that the district does not lobby. However, Sunshine Review had documents showing the district is active in lobbying. Other times, secretaries would write me off and tell me that they “didn’t think” the district lobbied. Know as much as you can before making a request so that you can gauge the level of knowledge or disclosure the person on the other side of the line is willing to share.
4. Know every angle: what questions do you still have about the process? What will the cost be? What information can you give up if the price is too much? Write these down so that you don’t forget if you get flustered.
5. Get the office information. Before anyone can hang up on you, you need the FOIA contact’s name, direct phone number, and an address or fax number to send the request to. Remembering this will save you a second phone call.
The most important tool, however, is your persistence. Don’t let the rude person on the phone intimidate you into giving up on a request. It’s their job to give us information, and it’s our right to know.
How to Make Wikis Work for Think Tanks
September 15, 2009 by Kristinpedia
Filed under sunshine review
Kristinpedia, here. Now, I’ve been working with wikis for three years and I know a thing or two about them. I like to think of wikis as a place where neat freaks go to organize it into nice, clean, user-friendly piles of facts. But this is a love of usability and organization. Think tanks, on the other hand, have a love of just information and its revelations. So, how to make wikis work for think tanks? Here are some quick tips:
- Do not go a wiki trying to push an agenda or the final argument of your policy paper
- Always look for the bid picture. Only after that is addressed should you discuss nitty gritty bits of information. For instance, if you would like to discuss the recent two percent increase in school vouchers in your state and its impact on education. You would first have to create an article detailing school choice in your state. Next you would create a section talking about school vouchers. Only after all this was completed would it be appropriate to add the specific details of the voucher increase.
- Encourage those involved with your think tank to contribute to the wikis. Whether it be interns, those on your e-blast list or even donors. Wikis are a platform that allow anyone to edit. You may be surprised at what can come out of the woodwork.
- It is often better to incorporate your material in an existing wiki, like Sunshine Review, Ballotpedia, Judgepedia, or Wikipedia. It is a lot less work and maintenance for you or your organization. Plus there is always a chance that others have done all the foundational work for an article, allowing you to just add that bit about school vouchers.
These are just a few tips. We continue to see think tanks take a fresh approach to how they can incorporate wikis into their organization. An excellent example of this is Oklahomans for Responsible Government (OFRG) who based their policy paper on the Sunshine Review’s transparency checklist for Oklahoma school districts.
Taxpayer-funded lobbying: Find out more
September 10, 2009 by Diana Lopez
Filed under Sunshine Review
The label “taxpayer-funded lobbying” means what it sounds like: government entities use public money to fund their advocacy efforts.
But sometimes, it’s more subtle.
For example, a city could become a member of the National League of Cities, or other taxpayer-funded lobbying associations. Throught membership in such groups, cities and other government entities receive advocacy before legislatures. These groups lobby for varying items. A few examples include:
* The Texas Association of School Boards opposes school voucher programs.
* The Arizona League of Cities and Towns wants local involvement in setting liquor licensing requirements,
* The Wisconsin Counties Association supports the expansion of government work programs.
* The Florida Cities Association supports the creation of a commuter rail system in Florida.
This is all lobbying that is paid for by taxpayers. That’s right: you and I pay to oppose vouchers.
Another subtlety of government funded lobbying comes with legislative receptions. One way of influencing law makers is through legislative receptions. The Indian River School District, for example, hosts a breakfast for legislators.
There’s not a lot of information on taxpayer-funded lobbying out there, and there are problems with the disclosure system for lobbyists. So join us on our quest to get more information on the project page, or read up on taxpayer-funded lobbying in your state.
Florida School Districts Not Open and Honest with Mom and Dad
September 9, 2009 by admin
Filed under Sunshine Review
For Immediate Release
Florida School Districts Not Open and Honest with Mom and Dad
Five school districts earn an “A” grade; Twenty-two receive failing marks
Chicago, September 9 – The government transparency website, Sunshine Review (sunshinereview.org), a project of the Sam Adams Alliance, has completed transparency evaluations for all seventy-four school districts in the Sunshine State.
Each district website was measured against a ten-point transparency checklist that evaluates the online accessibility of budgets, meetings, elected and administrative officials, academics, background checks, audits, contracts, public records and taxes.
The evaluations were completed in conjunction with Sunshine Review’s Back to School Florida project, which is currently underway. Marion, Palm Beach, Sarasota, Seminole and St. Johns County were the only school districts to earn an “A.” Twenty-two schools, however, received failing marks, leaving the state with a “D” average.
“Parents have a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent to educate their kids,” said Kristin McMurray, managing editor of Sunshine Review. “When schools are open and honest with mom and dad by making basic information accessible online, the children win.”
During the evaluation process, the Sunshine Review community learned that only six school districts disclose tax information online. Less than half the school districts publish their budgets as well as information regarding contracts and background checks. Thirty-eight school districts post information about academic performance.
“The Sunshine Review community understands that it’s hard for busy moms and dads to stay on top of their kid’s education.” McMurray said. “Easily accessible information online is a simple solution that benefits, students, parents and educators.”
Sunshine Review encourages parents and taxpayers throughout Florida to visit sunshinereview.org and see how open and honest your school district is. Members of the press can click here to access an electronic press kit and learn more about the Back to School Florida project by visiting www.sunshinereview.org.
Contacts:
Kristin McMurray, Managing Editor
Sunshine Review
312-920-0080 ext. 311
kmcmurray@samadamsalliance.org
Sunshine Review is a wiki website that collects and shares information about transparency, government spending, political corruption, taxpayer-funded lobbying and open records laws. It provides a way for citizens to keep tabs on their government, hold it accountable, and reform wasteful, fraudulent, and corrupt behavior uncovered by measures of transparency.
Florida Teachers Rise Against School Choice
September 8, 2009 by Kristinpedia
Filed under sunshine review
When Sunshine Review began poking around Florida’s school system, I have to admit that I expected the Sunshine State to be well…sunny. Like a Sunny D commercial with a bobbing sun in time with a transparency jingle. That kind of happy.
Instead we found a state that is bursting at its seams with education gluttony. A snapshot of Florida’s education system is huge budget shortfalls, wildly ranging school district sizes and teachers fearing for their jobs. This fear is being focused towards Florida’s school choice program, which teachers say are stealing money from the public schools. Many districts, like Alachua County, have placed a legislative priority to wipe out school choice programs. Parents have to be aware there is more going on than certain public announcements and school supplies. Get the whole picture by going back to school on your state.
