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Taxonomy: Term ID

FedSpending Spotlight: Skyrocketing Contracts, Less Competition

Lurita Doan, the new head of the General Services Administration (GSA), recently complained about the growth of Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) and the loss of contracting efficiency. Data from FedSpending.org reinforces these efficiency concerns by revealing the fast growth in federal contracts and, specifically, the remarkable growth of contracts for which there was little to no competition.

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Report Details Abramoff Abuse of Nonprofits, Recommends New Rules

An Oct. 12 report from Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Max Baucus (D-MT) examines interactions between five tax-exempt organizations and disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associates, finding instances of serious abuse. The report recommends a broad expansion of the definition of lobbying, increased disclosure requirements and enhanced penalties for violations. Its recommendations for further action by federal agencies with investigative and enforcement authority has received national attention.

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Attorney General Gives Thumbs Up to Agencies on FOIA Plans

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales issued a report last week to President Bush on the implementation of Executive Order 13392, which required agencies to establish Chief Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Officers and develop FOIA improvement plans to reduce backlogs and increase public access to highly sought-after government information. The report showers praise on agency improvement plans, in sharp contrast to an OpenTheGovernment.org review that found agencies failed to address important FOIA improvement areas.

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Bill Requires Release of Sensitive Security Information

In a positive development for open government, earlier this month President Bush signed into law the 2007 Homeland Security Appropriations Act which included provisions that mandate that all documents categorized as "sensitive security information" (SSI) be released after three years. Only a determination by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that there is a "rational reason" to continue to withhold the information can postpone the release.

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Ballot Initiatives Threaten Regulatory Protections

November ballot initiatives in six states would force state governments to provide compensation for lost property value as a result of regulation or be forced to waive the regulatory protection.

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Opposition to Dudley as Regulatory Czar Mounts

A Senate committee recently announced a hearing for Nov. 13 to consider the nomination of Susan Dudley to be the head of the White House's regulatory office. The Dudley nomination has created a firestorm of protest from organizations representing workers, environmental issues, consumer protections, and other public interest concerns.

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IRS Asked to Investigate Kansas Churches

Oct 24, 2006 by Amanda Adams*

BNA Money and Politics (subscription required) reported that Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) requested the Internal Revenue Service investigate churches in Kansas for possible violation of IRS rules in helping with Attorney General Phill Kline's re-election. Numerous churches distributed campaign literature and videos that favored Kline. According to CREW, a memo written by Kline was released by Kansas news groups that described his plans to get churches involved in his re-election campaign.

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A Fiscal Policy Review of the 109th Congress

With just a few short post-election, lame-duck weeks left, the 109th Congress will leave behind a legacy of woefully inadequate action on fiscal policy. With a set of fiscal challenges that included the need for comprehensive tax reform, concerns over Social Security insolvency, large and growing deficits, the 109th Congress' list of accomplishments is almost non-existent.

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Citizens for Tax Justice Give Congress, President Failing Marks on Tax Policy

The last six years of fiscal policy under the Bush Administration have been a bad deal for 99 percent of Americans, according to two reports released last week by Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ). The first of the reports, The Bush Tax Cuts: Is Your State Better Off?, examines who in each state has benefited from Bush's tax policy. To more accurately represent the long-term effects of the tax cuts, the report not only shows the size of the tax breaks received by each income group, but also the disproportionate share of the increased national debt that each group must pay off.

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Databases Monitor Activity of Peace Activists, Public Opinion

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has revealed more evidence of Pentagon spying on nonprofits that oppose the war in Iraq. Meanwhile, new Homeland Security Department programs that will monitor public opinion, emails and blogs raise further concerns about the free speech rights of nonprofits and the civil liberties of Americans.

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Oct 24, 2006 by Amanda Adams*

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