According to statistics from the Pew Research Center, 74% American adults use the Internet and nearly 59% of those individuals use it to visit a government website. There are no statistics, however, for what these visits yield. In early … [Read more...]
Making the Budget Process More Transparent – Back to the Future.
I was sharing panel duties at the LWV with Pam Wilmont from Common Cause, and Janet Domenitz from Mass PIRG whose respective organizations have pushed for a more open government for a long time, and have data rich websites complete with … [Read more...]
Partial update from tonight’s State Democratic Committee Meeting
Suggest this be an open thread. Here are a few highlights: The Platform Committee has five co-chairs - one of whom is David Kravitz, one of the BMG guys. John Walsh, the chair of the State Democratic Committee announced that ANY … [Read more...]
Transparency is a two way street
Thank you Secretary Kirwan! ONE Massachusetts has a commitment to work for a more transparent, accessible and accountable state and local policy-making process.Toward that end, Yawu Miller on behalf of ONE Mass submitted testimony to … [Read more...]
Paying attention is a two way street
There is no excusing the Speaker from not paying attention when his long time friends and supporters offered to pick up some of his personal expenses or offered him gifts, even if it was “perfectly legal”. He just didn’t … [Read more...]
Letter for more financial transparency to Boston elected officials
January 9, 2009 Dear Boston Elected Officials: With the recent ethics scandals afflicting our local politicians, transparency and openness in government are getting renewed interest. Since the government is an extension of its citizens and … [Read more...]
How would you move Massachusetts forward?
Crossposted at ONE Massachusetts At ONE Massachusetts we are trying to determine: * What kind of government do we want? * How are we going to pay for it? As residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we all want - and deserve - … [Read more...]
President-elect Obama creates web site to open the transition process
Here is the link: http://change.gov/ Rather a simple link for a major improvement in open transition work on the national level. I strongly suggest a visit to this site. It does include a blog, and the ability to provide … [Read more...]
Like a “Box of Chocolates” there is something for everyone in this “consolidated amendment”
At about 11 PM on Friday night, the members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives were given an 18 page "Consolidated Amendment". That is 18 pages single spaced. Like a box of chocolates, there is something for … [Read more...]
For enhanced “civic engagement” bring back cable coverage of formal legislative sessions
"Legislators behave differently when their constituents are watching" - a quote from the book Lobbying on a Shoestring that I believe is a true statement. Excerpt: http://www.realclout.org/ppi/p... Digital streaming is no … [Read more...]