White House launches open government initiative

[lanlady]

Source: Nextgov.com

The administration launched a long-awaited open government initiative on Thursday, which included facelifts to federal Web sites, and garnered encouraging reviews from government transparency activists.

Details of the plan, which was first announced the day after President Obama took office, included three phases of public participation via cyberspace, e-mail and traditional mail.

The White House site called on citizens to brainstorm ideas for creating a more transparent, collaborative and participatory government using technology, and then vote on the concepts.

Online discussions are scheduled to start on June 3 based on what the White House identifies as the most compelling ideas. On June 15, the public will be able to collaborate on more formal recommendations through a wiki, a Web page that allows users to add and edit content.

Read more: http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090521_4542.php

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Interesting plan.

[Muttocracy]

1. I've signed up for email updates from a bunch of federal agencies

I think this administration has already done a lot in terms of opening up communication and reporting on what they do.

[Xipe Totec]

2. Does this mean no more fighting FOIA lawsuits?

If not, then this is a definition of open government that I was not previously acquainted with.

[Muttocracy]

4. I wonder what the FOIA statistics on various presidential administrations are. nt

[Xipe Totec]

5. That should not matter,

unless previous administrations ran on a platform of open government.

And made promises in that respect.

FWIW, the most recent previous administration was the worst in terms of open government since Nixon.

[The Hope Mobile]

7. Makes sense to me. Isn't that basically why Obama promised to

reverse it and give transparency?

It would be nice if communication with this administration were easier. Getting back the form emails (even though I know they're inundated) feels like a brush-off.

[No Elephants]

8. I don't even get form replies from whitehouse.gov. I don't much care, as long as they read my

emails, but they probably can't do even that.

[Xipe Totec]

18. I always post - no reply necessary

I want to tell THEM how I feel,

If they change policy, great.

If they don't, no reply matters.

[No Elephants]

19. I feel the same, but I don't think they are going to change anything bc of my communications. Still

I cannot do nothing at all.

[Muttocracy]

3. YouTube promotion:

USA.gov has launched the official <http://www.youtube.com/USGovernment>U.S. Government Channel on YouTube, featuring more than 200 videos from 25 agencies. USA.gov has also updated its presence on <http://www.facebook.com/USAgov>Facebook and is seeing a rapidly growing number of followers on <http://twitter.com/USAgov>Twitter.

USA.gov is using new media to encourage public participation in government and improve the sharing of information and services.

Look for USA.gov's links to Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter in the "Connect with Government" box on the right side of the <http://service.govdelivery.com/service/view.html?code=USAGOV_35>USA.gov Home Page.

[5X]

6. The white house today put lipstick on the pig.

While promoting open government, the administration quietly slipped the photographs and
subpoenas under the rug.

[high density]

13. Yes, government transparency is all about torture photos and subpoenas

Open government doesn't mean that we all get free access to top secret data.

[snowdays]

15. It is all part of the massive WH marketing machine.

[No Elephants]

9. Putting information you are willing to share on websites is NOT open government. Neither is

fighting FOIA requests on behalf of Bushco. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3883639&mesg_id=3883639

Open government is hiding only that information that is truly necessary to keep hidden for national security. Covering up abuses of power does not fall in that category.

As long as Obamadmin fights to keep secrets, I consider this window dressing. Looks pretty from a distance, but you'll probably be disappointed if you look closely. And that has been the case with too many things.

[Wednesdays]

10. K&R

:kick:

[Triana]

11. OK - I want the full disclosure of who and what was involved in Cheney's Energy Task Force...

...a detailed list of all who were present and all transcripts, documents, video, emails, and any other relevant information regarding that force.

I also want the same from Max Baucus's Health Care Task Force hearings - who was present, all transcripts, video, emails, documentation, and accounts of those hearings.

I want them on YouTube, and on the whitehouse.gov website - the docs/transcripts/emails should be in .pdf format and fully downloadable by the public. If necessary, they should be available on DVD as well. The cost of this can be paid for by halving Mr. Baucus's salary and by removing his publicly-paid lifetime healthcare, as well as Dick Cheney's.

[Triana]

12. a whitehouse.gov group on facebook will not accomplish this. the idea of a...

'transparent' government therefore on the terms on which it is presented by the current white house, is a pretense not a reality.

[snowdays]

14. NO Hope of that ever occuring.

[Triana]

16. Nope - which means transparent gov't = 0

No such thing.

[Robbien]

17. If the WH is so open, then why did Obama issue a signing statement preserving secrecy?

When President Obama signed the bill on Wednesday creating a 10-member Pecora-style commission with subpoena power to investigate the financial crisis, he also issued a signing statement limiting the administration's duty to comply with its requests.

NYT:

In other words, the president is reserving the right to claim executive privilege if the commission seeks information or documents that the White House considers to be beyond the bounds of public information and/or privileged communications and negotiations within the executive branch.

http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/21/obama-issues-signing-statement-can-withhold-information-from-pecora-commission/


Open government initiative is sounding a lot like Bush's Clean Air initiative. Clean means even more polluted and Open means even more secret.