Personal Democracy Forum 2008
Session: The Cross-Partisan Movement for Political Transparency and Watchdogging Government from Below
Note by Ken Laureys:
The Cross-Partisan Movement for Political Transparency and Watchdogging Government from Below
15:45-17:00
Mark Tapscott, Matt Stoller, Ellen Miller, W. David Stephenson
make notes
review session
In the past few years, a strange bedfellow coalition of political bloggers from left to right, along with good government groups, have forged new alliances to open government to greater transparency. Our panel of experts will explore:
-Why is the movement for greater political transparency flourishing now?
-Do left and right agree on core principles, or is this a marriage of convenience?
-What are best practices in watchdogging government from below?
-What are the government's obligations in improving political transparency?
Moderated by Ellen Miller
Sunlight Foundation sunlite = disinfectant of bad govt.
Fortune 535 + Congresspedia + earmarks map, etc.
W. David Stephenson
visual representation is most memorable and easier to understand
DC potholes
LA neighborhood 'misery index' of urban decline that is mapped out
trendolizer
Many eyes = IBM tool
Bio: MATT STOLLER is a blogger and thought leader in the internet wing of the progressive movment. He writes at the well-respected liberal blog MyDD.com on progressive strategy, and is the President of the political action committee BlogPAC, which seeks to fund bloggers and progressive activists. He focuses his work on progressive coalition building, the mechanics of the right-wing, and communications policy. He consults for the Sunlight Foundation on open government, for Free Press's 'Savetheinternet' coalition on net neutrality, and for Working Assets, a progressive phone company. In 2005, he worked as the blogger for Jon Corzine for Governor and Simon Rosenberg for DNC Chair. He also co-created the web campaign Thereisnocrisis.com to fight against the privatization of Social Security. In 2004, he worked on a radio and blog project called 'The Blogging of the President', credentialled bloggers for the Democratic National Convention, and co-created the web campaign enjoythedraft.com. He is the co-author of a report titled 'The Emergence of the Progressive Blogosphere' from the New Politics Institute. In 2003, he worked on the Draft Clark movement. Stoller began blogging in 2002.
Vital Statistics:
Web Site: www.mattstoller.com
Bio: Mark Tapscott is editorial page editor of The Washington Examiner daily newspaper in the nation's capitol and proprietor of Tapscott's Copy Desk blog. Websites: Examiner.com and Tapscottscopydesk.blogspot.com
congressional record needs to be transformed into Congressional Blogger
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
federalspending.gov + followthemoney.org (Ed) & opensecrets.org Need $ data in digestible format for public use
need Health & safety info that govt collects to be made public (but industry does not want collected, or released if it is collected)
Congressional candidates pledge to post daily calenders online (see Congresspedia).
about 6 more states ready to post certain public infor online
better transparency & hence accountability means right can't rely on theory to cut social programs or boost security programs, and left can't rely on heartstrings to fund social programs. Both would need to justify spending de facto!
15:45-17:00
Mark Tapscott, Matt Stoller, Ellen Miller, W. David Stephenson
make notes
review session
In the past few years, a strange bedfellow coalition of political bloggers from left to right, along with good government groups, have forged new alliances to open government to greater transparency. Our panel of experts will explore:
-Why is the movement for greater political transparency flourishing now?
-Do left and right agree on core principles, or is this a marriage of convenience?
-What are best practices in watchdogging government from below?
-What are the government's obligations in improving political transparency?
Moderated by Ellen Miller
Sunlight Foundation sunlite = disinfectant of bad govt.
Fortune 535 + Congresspedia + earmarks map, etc.
W. David Stephenson
visual representation is most memorable and easier to understand
DC potholes
LA neighborhood 'misery index' of urban decline that is mapped out
trendolizer
Many eyes = IBM tool
Bio: MATT STOLLER is a blogger and thought leader in the internet wing of the progressive movment. He writes at the well-respected liberal blog MyDD.com on progressive strategy, and is the President of the political action committee BlogPAC, which seeks to fund bloggers and progressive activists. He focuses his work on progressive coalition building, the mechanics of the right-wing, and communications policy. He consults for the Sunlight Foundation on open government, for Free Press's 'Savetheinternet' coalition on net neutrality, and for Working Assets, a progressive phone company. In 2005, he worked as the blogger for Jon Corzine for Governor and Simon Rosenberg for DNC Chair. He also co-created the web campaign Thereisnocrisis.com to fight against the privatization of Social Security. In 2004, he worked on a radio and blog project called 'The Blogging of the President', credentialled bloggers for the Democratic National Convention, and co-created the web campaign enjoythedraft.com. He is the co-author of a report titled 'The Emergence of the Progressive Blogosphere' from the New Politics Institute. In 2003, he worked on the Draft Clark movement. Stoller began blogging in 2002.
Vital Statistics:
Web Site: www.mattstoller.com
- Laws passed without lawmakers reading it.
- blurring of online anger into policy (PAC contributions to defeat telecom immunity traitors in Congress).
- transparency & its data makes elected officials see the explicit wrongness of business as usual
Bio: Mark Tapscott is editorial page editor of The Washington Examiner daily newspaper in the nation's capitol and proprietor of Tapscott's Copy Desk blog. Websites: Examiner.com and Tapscottscopydesk.blogspot.com
- USA Spending.gov (by GAry BAss at OMB Watch) so Senators Obama & Coburn (GOP) recently mandated posting US budget info online
- example of trans-partisanship
- transparency is prerequisite of accountability
congressional record needs to be transformed into Congressional Blogger
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
federalspending.gov + followthemoney.org (Ed) & opensecrets.org Need $ data in digestible format for public use
need Health & safety info that govt collects to be made public (but industry does not want collected, or released if it is collected)
Congressional candidates pledge to post daily calenders online (see Congresspedia).
about 6 more states ready to post certain public infor online
better transparency & hence accountability means right can't rely on theory to cut social programs or boost security programs, and left can't rely on heartstrings to fund social programs. Both would need to justify spending de facto!
