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This year's historic presidential campaign introduced the country to a plethora of vocational symbols. It not only featured Joe the Plumber, but also Tito the Bricklayer, Rose the Teacher, and more. There were also a few Joes and Janes who had prominent roles in the restriction — and in a few cases, the expansion — of public information that may have gone unnoticed during the year. Hopefully for the last time in the life of our Republic, the government transparency events of 2008 are presented below according to vocational nomenclature.
Gas Drilling Threatens Public with Undisclosed Chemicals (12/02/2008)
The natural gas drilling industry refuses to disclose what potentially harmful chemicals are used in thousands of hydraulic fracturing gas wells across the country, despite evidence that the chemicals are poisoning drinking water supplies. As concerns mount, several states are considering action to curb use of the process despite the federal government's efforts to encourage it with large subsidies and environmental exemptions.
Five Change.gov Clues to Obama's Approach to Governing (12/02/2008)
As the Obama transition team gathers policy information and vets potential appointees, many outsiders are eager to know what the new administration will do and how it will govern. The transition website, change.gov, may hold clues to some of these questions.
Outdated Virginia Laws Lack E-mail Transparency (12/02/2008)
County supervisors in Loudoun County, VA, recently discussed a proposal to change the state's freedom of information laws in light of a court case that seeks personal e-mails from the county board. The controversy in Virginia reflects the broader problem of distinguishing between official and personal electronic records that plagues federal and state governments.
Coalition Makes Right-to-Know Recommendations to President-elect (11/18/2008)
On Nov. 12, the right-to-know community published a set of transparency recommendations for President-elect Barack Obama and the 111th Congress. These recommendations are supported by a group of over 280 individuals and organizations and published in a report, titled Moving Toward a 21st Century Right-to-Know Agenda: Recommendations to President-elect Obama and Congress.
Groups Seek More Congressional Transparency (11/18/2008)
The Sunlight Foundation recently launched the Open Senate Project as part of its ongoing attempt to improve congressional transparency. The project is a bipartisan initiative to study the Senate's current information sharing practices and subsequently develop recommendations for improvement, particularly through the use of technology.
Public Wants More Info on Food Labels (11/18/2008)
A national poll shows strong consumer support for improved food labeling and more frequent inspections of food-processing facilities. According to food safety advocates, Americans want labels that identify use of genetically engineered or cloned ingredients, as well as expanded country-of-origin labeling. Labels are one of the most effective means to inform the public about the health, safety, origins, and environmental impact of a product.
Court Rules CIA Can Keep Any Secret It Wants (11/04/2008)
On Oct. 29, a federal court refused to examine statements made by Guantanamo Bay detainees during their tribunals; the statements were redacted by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The statements, which reportedly contain allegations of torture committed against the detainees while they were in U.S. custody, come at a time when the British government is seeking to investigate the treatment of one of its own residents held at the detention facility.
Climate Change Disclosure Becomes an Investor Thing (11/04/2008)
Recent actions by investors and the New York State Attorney General are pressuring companies to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and the risks they face from climate change. Many regard such information as essential to investors' right to know about the potential liabilities facing thousands of industries as the climate warms and new emissions regulations become a near certainty.
SEC Wants Transparency in Wall Street Credit Gambling (10/21/2008)
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Christopher Cox recently emphasized the urgent need for transparency of currently unregulated credit transactions, called credit default swaps (CDS), that contributed to the ongoing economic crisis. Cox is using the SEC's program to modernize its electronic disclosure system as a platform to call for oversight while the agency investigates alleged fraudulent transactions. Meanwhile, two other federal agencies are vying for regulatory oversight of CDS and industry is lobbying to minimize the impact. At issue will be whether transparency is accompanied with any other forms of accountability.
Mixed Grades for Government on Free Speech and Science (10/21/2008)
A recent report card grading 15 federal agencies found inconsistent policies for releasing scientific information to the public. The analysis also showed that several agencies stifle their scientists' communication, causing scientists to fear retaliation for speaking their minds. Although some agencies have satisfactory policies or recently improved media policies, it appears much still needs to be done to ensure scientific information gets to the public.
Project Makes Transparency Recommendations for Next President (10/21/2008)
More than 100 groups and individuals from across the country have been working collaboratively to develop recommendations for the next president on how best to improve federal government transparency. The effort, the 21st Century Right to Know project, was organized by OMB Watch, and it involves organizations and individuals from across the political spectrum. A draft set of recommendations is now available for review and endorsement.
EPA Doesn't Want to Know about Factory Farm Waste (10/07/2008)
In a Sept. 24 congressional hearing, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defended its proposal to exempt factory farms from reporting on airborne and chemical emissions from animal waste, even though the agency has no reliable information on public health impacts of the pollution. Without the reports, communities would not know when potentially dangerous animal waste releases occur. Emergency responders would also have less information when responding to citizens' reports of noxious odors.
EPA Reopens Libraries (10/07/2008)
After two years, numerous protests by the public, a formal grievance from a government employee union, a critical governmental report, and congressional intervention, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reopened agency libraries it closed as a purported cost-saving measure. The libraries generally are smaller and open fewer hours than before, are now controlled by a political appointee, and may have lost materials in the interim, but they are open to the public.
Department of Justice Finalizes Enhancements of FBI Powers (10/07/2008)
Attorney General Michael Mukasey recently finalized changes to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) rules that increase the agency's ability to gather information on citizens without having prior suspicion of wrongdoing. The new rules cover the FBI's powers over criminal, national security, and foreign intelligence surveillance and have been criticized by civil liberties advocates and privacy groups.
Telecom Surveillance to Receive Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card (10/07/2008)
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking retroactive immunity for the telecommunications companies that cooperated with the National Security Agency's (NSA) warrantless surveillance program, utilizing power granted in the FISA Amendments Act of 2008.
FBI to Increase Secret Powers in the Near Future (09/23/2008)
The Department of Justice (DOJ) plans to finalize secret changes to a secret rule that sets guidelines for the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) work. The changes will reportedly lower intelligence-gathering standards and could pose a significant threat to individual rights. Several senators have voiced strong concerns about the changes.
EPA's Assessments of Chemical Dangers -- Too Slow (09/23/2008)
A government investigation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) process for assessing dangerous chemicals concludes the agency is so slow and lacking in credibility that the system is in "serious risk of becoming obsolete."
Senate and House Take Legislative Swings at Secrecy (09/23/2008)
The Senate introduced new legislation that would make it more difficult for the executive branch to establish secret policies. This effort followed the House's passage of legislation to reduce overuse of classification by security agencies.
EPA Withholds Pesticide Information While Bees Die (09/09/2008)
A conservation organization has sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to release information about a pesticide linked to dramatic declines in honeybee populations. The pesticide was approved on the condition that the manufacturer study the effects of the chemical on the bee species. The EPA has received the studies but refuses to release them to the public, even though a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was filed.
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