From ProPublica:

A proposed rule to the Freedom of Information Act would allow federal agencies to tell people requesting certain law-enforcement or national security documents that records don’t exist – even when they do.

Under current FOIA practice, the government may withhold information and issue what’s known as a Glomar denial that says it can neither confirm nor deny the existence of records.

The new proposal – part of a lengthy rule revision by the Department of Justice – would direct government agencies to “respond to the request as if the excluded records did not exist.”

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Three Dane County Democratic lawmakers want to charge a free market think tank more than $7,500  to comply with open record requests for correspondence regarding one legislative initiative.

In a letter to several state lawmakers, dated March 24th, The MacIver Institute requested:

“Copies of all correspondence you have received or sent, (including, but not limited to, letters, emails, voice mails, records of phone calls, and logs of in-person meetings) regarding the subject of changes to Wisconsin’s collective bargaining laws for public employees. This request covers such correspondence received or sent between January 1, 2011 and March 23, 2011.”

In an email response dated March 30, Representative Mark Pocan (D-Madison) personally alleged it would take two staffers, working full time, two weeks to comply with the request.

“A quick review of our office files pertaining to collective bargaining laws for public employees, 2011 SSSB 11, 2011 SSAB 11, and 2011 Wis. Act 10 indicates that there are over 8,000 documents that would meet this search criteria,” Pocan wrote. “Our office anticipates that copying costs for this request will be a minimum of $1,500 and that fulfilling this request will require approximately 80 hours of staff time, which if pro rated for staff salaries, would cost approximately $2,600.

Mike Murray, a member of Representative Joe Parisi (D-Madison) staff offered a similar response via email one day earlier.

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The Obama administration and the Democrat Party has yet again instituted new rules, rolling back requirements that forced unions to report their financial doings to their members and the public.

Obviously as far as Obama is concerned “transparency” is one of those things that only enemies should be forced to observe. If you are an Obama friend, no transparency is required.

It is interesting to note the language that Democrats used to excuse their newest roll back of transparency requirements, too (my bold).

“The [Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act’s] various reporting provisions are designed to empower labor organizations, their members, and the public by providing certain information about the finances of labor organizations and union officers and employees. A fair and transparent government regulatory regime must consider and balance the interests of labor organizations, their members, and the public, including the benefits served by disclosure, the burden placed on reporting entities, and preserving the independence of unions and their officials from unnecessary government regulation.”

Federal Register, Vol. 75, No. 153; Tuesday, August 10, 2010; Proposed Rules, P. 48416

So how does allowing unions to misuse, abuse, and hide expenditures from their own membership, the public and the government by skipping transparency requirements help anyone but the union chiefs that want to hide what they are doing from the prying eyes of reformers?

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This week, I received my 2010 US Census form.  It’s the second mailing I’ve received. The first was a helpful notification that the actual form would be coming soon.

With the intent to help the process along by completing the form right then, I did a quick search of the Census.gov site to find the online version of the form, only to discover this shocking revelation:

Can I fill the form out online?

No, not this time. We are experimenting with Internet response options for the future

In 2000, with the Internets still relatively new, lack of an online option was tolerable. In 2010 however, this lapse makes for a perfect example of how our Federal government is missing opportunities to create knowledge worker jobs, cut costs and leverage technology to improve efficiency.

The rationale for an online census survey are obvious: save on printing and postage, cut down on paper, save fuel for distribution, provide nearly-instantaneous results, make it easier for citizens to complete, and increase the completion rate. So obvious in fact, that since 2006 Canada, Australia and New Zealand have all had an online option.

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Just before New Year’s, C-SPAN Chairman and CEO Brian Lamb sent a letter to Congressional leadership, requesting permission to televise negotiations around the final health care reform legislation. The letter was addressed to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, GOP Leader Rep. John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell.

The letter notes:

Now that the process moves to the critical stage of reconciliation between the Chambers, we respectfully request that you all the public full access, through television, to legislation that will affect the lives of every American.

C-SPAN Health Care Letter –

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