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September 22, 2010 by
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A recent editorial praises Wisconsin for its open government–in particular, the attitude of of .
The author of the piece notes that the Attorney General Van Hollen has actively worked to improve citizen access to and .
He has the right attitude towards open government, too, writing “A citizen’s access to public records and meetings of governmental bodies is a vital aspect of this principle [of 'government of the people, by the people, for the people…'].” The hosts a video of the DOJ’s 2009 public records seminar, and the DOJ is offering a series of free seminars and video conferences to promote public awareness of and compliance with Wisconsin’s open meetings and public records laws. (These can be found .)
According to Sunshine Review, the state of Wisconsin does extremely well on the material it discloses online. We give an “A+” transparency grade, which means it posts all of the items we recommend on our 10 point transparency checklist. At the local level, however, Wisconsin counties only get a “D” transparency grade average.
What are your experiences with transparency in Wisconsin?
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September 21, 2010 by
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has just over 6,000 people in their small town, but it’s leading the way for open data, social media and a more open government. Yesterday and today Manor has teamed up with to bring these ideals to other local governments around the nation. The conference is discussing:
- Open Government
- Citizen Engagement
- Citizen Service & 311
- Web & Mobile Technology
- Emergency Management
- Social Media
- Open Data
And even if you can’t afford to hop on a flight and catch the last panels for this conference, you can join me in listening to them live on , or follow on twitter with . I’ve already heard some great great ideas, so I highly recommend watching.
Earlier this week the cheap nexium posted an article asking why the state comptroller handed out based solely on posting checkbook registers online. Why not consider public record response rates? Many governments are happy to create fantastic websites and then decline FOIA requests based on their mood.
The long and short of it is that both matter. You need to proactively disclose government data and you need government to repsond honestly and promptly to citizen requests. I don’t fault the comptroller for recognizing one aspect of transparency, especially since it’s similar to what we do at Sunshine Review. Instead I’d hope that constituents and other organizations will take the reins to demand prompt responses to public records requests. After all, what’s stopping us?
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September 8, 2010 by
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A few months back, the released a report heralding the transparency of on the state’s disclosure of its taxpayer-funded lobbying.
is just what it sounds like: lobbying funded by citizens’ money. Local and state governments use public funds, which come from tax dollars, to lobby for legislation and to attempt to gain money from other governments.
Not much is known about this process, which is why the about Minnesota’s disclosure. Every year, the Minnesota state auditor releases the , which details the cost of lobbying by entities in the state. The report includes payments to taxpayer-funded lobbying associations, as well as contracts with lobbyists. A very good job of , especially considering the archives for this information go back to 1989.
Or so it would seem. The nonprofit recently released a report highlighting the federal lobbying spending of 26 public entities in the state. The entities spent $5.2 million since 2006 .
So what’s the problem? Federal lobbying . According to the Freedom Foundation president, this needs to change:
“It’s critical that taxpayers have an understanding of how much their local governments are spending on lobbying,” he said. “It is important for them to know how much their cities and counties are spending to lobby legislators in St. Paul. It stands to reason it is just as important for them to know how much they are spending to lobby congressmen in Washington, D.C.”
That makes perfect sense. Minnesota should be lauded for its efforts in being accountable to its citizens, but in transparency, there’s always room for improvement. Federal lobbying should be disclosed as readily as state and local lobbying is. Minnesota will be all the better for it.
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September 7, 2010 by
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The called out federal agencies at the in Washington, DC today. “almost entirely useless,” said Ellen Miller, co-founder and executive director of the Sunlight Foundation.
The organization has launched its own website, , which has found that roughly half, or , in spending has misreported on government websites.
Miller did not stop at USASpending.gov, but also criticized and for equally bad reporting.
Which begs the question, how can we guarantee the government will report accurately? What checks and balances can be put in place to keep government reporting honest? We’ll see what the summit decides, but I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments on the subject.
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September 1, 2010 by
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Almost every politician in California was ready to jump on the “Let’s bash Bell” bandwagon, but now that legislation calling for salary transparency is in the senate, . The latest legislation would require that cheap nexium municipal employees post their and state level employees as well.
The California senators are considering addressing the issue with an internal rule, which would be more flexible and easily changed.
If the California legislature was so eager to expose municipal salaries, then they should also be comfortable placing the same transparency standards on themselves. The legislature should worry less about how it’ll reflect on their campaigns, and more about what is right for Californian constituents.
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August 30, 2010 by
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A hotly-contested tax in has some doubting the merits of transparency. After disclosing a new fee that would go towards fixing roads in the town, bloggers and other media officials are unhappy with what has been dubbed “the driveway tax.”
The fee was established after discussions and hearings, and the municipality announced it in a newsletter.* These transparency efforts lead to the negative reaction from bloggers and media outlets.
Often, the knee-jerk reaction in these situations are a mix of self-preservation, defensive posturing by city officials, and an unwillingness to put information in the public spotlight again.
Transparency isn’t always easy, and just like any job people will not always be happy with the end results. But just like a paper that is proof read, exposing government information to the public will lead to an open, honest, and better performing government entity.
I believe this for all levels of government, from cities like Mission to the Federal level.
* I have not been able to find a website for the city. While it’s obvious city officials are trying, a website would be a positive step for easier access to government information.
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August 25, 2010 by
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Sunshine Review has ranked over 5,000 government website since we launched, and only 52 of those websites have merited an “A” transparency grade.
Which is why I can’t express how cheap nexium I was to see new . This city website is out-performing most government websites in the US for of information. In fact, very few local governments have made the effort to be that transparent, and in such detail.
You want it, this site has it. Credit card receipts, lobbying expenditures, campaign contributions, audits, contracts, employee salaries—everything. This website literally achieved not just every mark on Sunshine Review’s , but also nailed all our suggested data as well. Data is even downloadable in different formats.
I highly recommend poking around the revamped site, and demanding the same performance from your local governments.
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