“Transparency and Open Government”

[Annie]

That's what was promised by President Obama:

Transparency and Open Government
Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies

SUBJECT: Transparency and Open Government

My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government...

Hasn't been working out that way. Alternative media stepping up:

Roger L. Simon The New PJM ‘Transparency Project’: Questions for Our Readers

Links at site:

...In his role as the incoming chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) is now preparing what might be called the Mother of All Transparency Investigations, having branded the Obama administration, with some justification, “one of the most corrupt.” (As I write, the Bloomberg news agency is reporting Treasury Secretary Geithner’s aides—who helped engineer the $700 billion bank rescue—reaped millions working for banks and hedge funds.Issa claims his investigation could save $200 billion for taxpayers. Who knows if that’s accurate? But more important even than the savings is the principle of transparency in government without which few, if any, savings are possible, ever. For that Issa must be applauded...

Toward this end, Pajamas Media has been working in the background on a small initiative of our own we refer to as “The Transparency Project.” The emphasis is on the small because a tiny company like ours cannot hope to examine more than a few areas in the vast and almost endless sea of our government.

Which is why I am writing this. I have some questions for our audience.

First, which areas of government would you like us to focus on?...

Some of these questions have been answered on LegiStorm, a website looking into government transparency that I highly recommend. They even disclose congressional staff salaries. But, unless I missed it, there is nothing on the salaries of the myriad Presidential Czars and their staffs. Perhaps that is something someone in our readership can look into–or can recommend other sources.

Secondarily, what should be the actual limits on government transparency in general? Do we need to know everything? Most of us pay lip service to not jeopardizing national security, but what does that mean in this instance?...

Yes, although we are a small company, we are thinking big here because transparency is a big subject. It could change the way we do business in this country in almost all aspects of government. (One aspect we can promise you we will focus on—because we have been there before—is transparency in the Department of Justice.)

Consider this all an adventure—and an experiment. And we hope you will all join us in it. Feel free to bombard us with your suggestions. We’re listening.