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Sunlight and Allies to Department of Labor: No Website Scrubbing
The Sunlight Foundation sent a letter to the Department of Labor requesting that the DOL re-post materials online that they removed when they abandoned proposed regulations regarding child labor in agriculture. As the letter says, no major administration decision should be accompanied by related materials' disappearance from public view.
- Sunlight and Allies to Department of Labor: No Website Scrubbing, by John Wonderlich, Sunlight Foundation blog (May 23, 2012).
OMB Watch on Census Cuts
America Would Know Less Under House Census Policy, by Gavin Baker, The Fine Print blog, OMBWatch (05/16/12).
In its frenzy to limit government and cut spending, the House has voted to eliminate an important and valuable national resource. Undercutting the Census Bureau would be a mistake. The less we know about our country, the harder it will be to find sustainable solutions to the challenges that face our nation. Turning off these streams of data would further limit our ability to address national priorities.Continue reading
Restrictions on WikiLeaks Documents Challenged in Court
Restrictions on WikiLeaks Documents Challenged in Court, by Steven Aftergood, Secrecy News (May 22, 2012).
The publication of leaked classified documents by WikiLeaks continues to confound government officials and to generate some unusual legal tangles. Last month, attorneys for a Guantanamo prisoner asked a federal court to nullify the restrictions that the government has imposed on access to and dissemination of the leaked records, so that the prisoner can prepare a response to the disclosures contained in them.Also see A librarian reacts to "A librarian reacts to wikileaks", by James R. Jacobs. (Feb 13, 2011). Continue reading
Susan Crawford on Telecommunications Deregulation
Susan Crawford comments on deregulation of the telecom industry:
- 'Radicalized' ex-Obama adviser blasts deregulation of telecom. By Andrew Feinberg, The Hill (05/21/12) She said telephone service had long been considered, along with water and electricity, to be among the utilities that were extended to all based on a "collective responsibility" to ensure that everyone receives the benefits of modern society. Crawford said that "basic network" of services should now include Internet access, but argued deregulation is undermining that goal by creating a consolidation in the cable and wireless industries that will limit choice and make it harder for people to afford services. One-third of people in the United States still lack Internet access, Crawford said, which will hurt competitiveness at home and abroad.
Building a 21st Century Digital Government
May 24, 2012 / Leave a comment
- Building a 21st Century Digital Government, press release, May 23, 2012,
Presidential Memorandum For The Heads Of Executive Departments And Agencies.
For far too long, the American people have been forced to navigate a labyrinth of information across different Government programs in order to find the services they need. In addition, at a time when Americans increasingly pay bills and buy tickets on mobile devices, Government services often are not optimized for smartphones or tablets, assuming the services are even available online.
...Today, the CIO is releasing that strategy, entitled Digital Government: Building a 21st Century Platform to Better Serve the American People (Strategy), which provides agencies with a 12-month roadmap that focuses on several priority areas.
- Digital Government: Building A 21st Century Platform To Better Serve The American People, [PDF] Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO), Office of Management and Budget. (May 23, 2012).
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