Those seeking documents from the Department of Homeland Security will likely have to wait for their requests to be filled. According to a new report released this month from the DHS Privacy Office, the agency now has a backlog of more than 50,000 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, The Hill reported, with most of those related to immigration records.
[…]
Read More… from Freedom of Information Request Backlog Hits 50,000 at DHS
President Obama's well-publicized national open data policy (pdf) makes it clear that government data is a valuable public resource for which the government should be making efforts to maximize access and use. This policy was based on lessons from previous government open data success stories, such as weather data and GPS, which form the basis for countless commercial services that we take for granted today and that deliver enormous value to society. (You can see an impressive list of companies reliant on open government data via GovLab's Open Data 500 project.)
[…]
Read More… from Open data for open lands: Recreation.gov should be a platform, not a silo.
Philadelphia shells out a pretty penny every year to settle lawsuits based on allegations of police misconduct.
MuckRock.com, which bills itself as a "collaborative news site" that helps journalists, researchers and citizens analyze and share government documents, posted an online report yesterday that looked at how Philadelphia's annual payouts stack up against those in a handful of other large cities. The findings might not surprise you.
[…]
Read More… from Open-government group eyes police-lawsuit settlements
Four key principles-accountability, transparency, participation, and inclusion-have in recent years become nearly universal features of the policy statements and programs of international development organizations. Yet this apparently widespread new consensus is deceptive: behind the ringing declarations lie fundamental fissures over the value and application of these concepts. Understanding and addressing these divisions is crucial to ensuring that the four principles become fully embedded in international development work.
[…]
Valdosta Daily Times Editor Jim Zachary began the first in a statewide series of Open Government Symposiums with the words of Thomas Jefferson, ìInformation is the currency of democracy.î
Elected officials, city and county administrative staff, community watchdog groups, college students and journalists convened at the Center for Collaborative Journalism at Mercer University Friday.
[…]
Read More… from Symposium focuses on government transparency in Georgia
I should have been a lawyer. It's not that I have the smarts or the diligence. It's not that journalism isn't rewarding and challenging. It's just that, during my childhood, I couldn't count how many times my argumentative nature led somebody to suggest that I should become a lawyer. The irony is that my 11-year-old has inherited that nature – which is both a blessing and curse for his parents – and often is told the same thing. Something about the "sins of the father," I'm guessing.
[…]
Read More… from Jayne: Shooting the breeze with Washington state’s attorney general
So much for transparency. Two top deputies of Mayor de Blasio, who campaigned on creating a new era of government openness, commonly use their personal Gmail accounts to discuss city-related issues, the Daily News has learned.
[…]
Ever wonder where state legislatures or local politicians get funding for their campaigns and how those funds might influence the polices they create? Common Cause New Mexico Campaign Manager, Heather Ferguson met with Daily News staff Wednesday to talk about the importance of the New Mexico Pledge campaign.
Common Cause New Mexico and the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government currently have a New Mexico Pledge campaign aimed at reducing the influence of big-money interests in political campaigns. The educational campaign was launched in September.
[…]
I learned many things last Tuesday. A young gentleman proudly told me of a youth-led initiative in Cameroon supporting government reforms by leading regulatory trainings for public healthcare providers. A young woman shared with me her desire to learn how to analyze the budget data her government recently made available. And another gentleman currently working at an NGO in India shared with me how social media has revolutionized the way local governments are responding and enhancing their service delivery.
[…]
Read More… from Youth are Promoting Open and Responsive Governments!
Rarely is the term 'city hall' considered synonymous with the words 'innovation' or 'efficiency.' Too often, the public image of municipal government is of a static bureaucracy staffed with disinterested clock-watchers focused on petty tasks and arcane processes. But two Harvard authorities on government and technology say it doesn't have to be that way.
[…]
