Report: Half of federal agencies have failed to meet transparency obligations
Half of the federal agencies handling the bulk of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests are failing at their transparency obligations, a government watchdog group reported Monday. The Center for Effective Government surveyed the 15 federal age ...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Sunshine Laws are key to government transparency
Democracy depends on the informed and active participation of citizens at all levels of government. Democratic governmental bodies must protect a citizen's right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions, holding open meetings and making public records accessible. When our right to know is violated, democracy suffers. read more ...
How open data can mitigate the floods of the future
Live, open government data – collated on third-party platforms – can change peoples’ lives profoundly in a wide variety of ways. read more ...
Editorial: Don’t pull back on open government
Safeguarding open government is a constant struggle. Backsliding can happen easily if people aren’t vigilant. We have a case in point right here in Sacramento on the eve of Sunshine Week, the annual series of events spotlighting the importanc ...
Why Freedom Of The Press Should Matter To You, And Other Tenets Of The First Amendment Foundation
When Florida media groups are concerned about freedom of the press and open government, they turn to the First Amendment Foundation for help. Pete Weitzel, former senior editor of the Miami Herald, founded the non-profit 30 years ago. The foundat ...
Sixteen ways (UK) councils can better use data
Councils are not doing anything with valuable data that offers insight into the needs of communities, according to the local government thinktank Localis. In their report, based on interviews with council leaders in the UK, they said that local autho ...
White House Recruits Tech Entrepreneurs
Uncle Sam wants a few good innovators -- again. The White House has launched the third round of its Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF) program, which pairs tech-savvy entrepreneurs from the private sector with top government officials to tackle selected challenges facing the administration. The program's "lean startup" approach has delivered a variety of tools, including ones that help the public save on utility bills and improve access to government health information, and it has brought acclaim to participants. read more ...
Editorial: Open government training for elected officials should save money
When folks are elected to public office — from local school boards to city councils to county commissions — many have little to no experience with state law regarding public access to government information. #When the citizens (and medi ...
Freedom of Information Law is a powerful tool to demand accountability from government
We're quoting from the preamble of New York state's Freedom of Information Law. It requires governments to release records of their activities, with some exceptions, so that taxpayers know where their money is being spent and how their government is performing. FOIL is a powerful tool for demanding accountability. read more ...
