A Call for Action Against Secrecy - October 28, 2002 Vol. 3 No. 22

October 28, 2002 Vol. 3 No. 22:

Published: 10/28/2002

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A Call for Action Against Secrecy

Concerned about the current administration?s preference for policies of secrecy and information restriction OMB Watch recently issued a working paper entitled "The Bush Administration?s Secrecy Policy: A Call to Action to Protect Democratic Values" detailing the growth of secrecy in government, its impact and current public opinion on increased secrecy. The paper concludes with a call to action that emphasizes the need to build a coordinated campaign that not only addresses the increased secrecy, but also promotes strengthening the public's right-to-know.

Comments, reactions and feedback to this working paper are welcome. The paper is considered a working draft as we recognize it does not fully cover the waterfront of issues concerning access to government information. For example, it does an inadequate job of covering national security issues. We assume this will be corrected over time with additional input.

In this context, we would like input on:

Whether you agree that this is an important issue, and, if so, how important it is compared to other issues.
Any additional examples of secrecy or restrictions to the public's right-to-know (not identified in the paper) that should be included in building the mosaic.
Your ideas for what a campaign to highlight secrecy and advance the public's right-to-know might look like and any specific next steps you would suggest.
What hurdles should we expect in moving forward with this type of initiative, and how can we get past them.

To post your comments to these questions, send a message to ombwatch@ombwatch.org.

After the November elections, a revised draft should be posted to reflect comments we receive and the outcomes of the elections.