Context essential in helping public understand federal stimulus data

A recent study by the CGI Initiative for Collaborative Government says that the government needs to build a better context for the data on spending from the  federal stimulus package. As it stands the public could seize on isolated information and draw the wrong conclusions. The Obama administration says it is trying to provide more [...]

States responding to federal transparency initiatives with parallel efforts

Since President Barack Obama pledged more openness in government, states have been opening records to the public, of stimulus spending and beyond, using online tools to provide a broad range of data. -DB OMB Watch December 8, 2009 President Barack Obama’s Jan. 21 inaugural promise to lead the most transparent administration in history has had [...]

Open government group finds little influence of campaign money on stimulus contracts

The National Institute on Money in State Politics checked campaign contributions against awards for stimulus contracts and found that only 3.2 percent of contract recipients donated to state political campaigns. -DB Project on Government Oversight (POGO) November 5, 2009 By Ingrid Drake A few months ago, POGO blogged about our concerns that many state and [...]

Not all transparency experts talk trash about Recovery.gov

Some online transparency scholars working outside of Washington, D.C. are encouraged by features of the official Web site of Recovery.gov that tracks stimulus spending saying that they are impressed with the site’s ease of use. The site made its first post of stimulus data on October 15. -DB NextGov October 21, 2009 By Aliya Sternstein Some [...]

Watchdog groups say that data from Recovery Board first posting of stimulus data inaccessible

A number of groups are saying that the first online posting of data on stimulus spending was not accessible to the public difficult to search and incomplete. Critics say the site can be improved by making it so that the public can mount a search by recipient. -DB NextGov October 15, 2009 By Aliya Sternstein Government [...]

Stimulus fund recipients post spending records online

Those awarded stimulus fund contracts are complying with government requirements to post the details of their expenditures online, so far submitting 112,000 reports to the data collection Web site. -DB NextGov October 14, 2009 By Aliya Sternstein Stimulus fund recipients appear to be complying with requirements to report their spending activities online. As of Wednesday [...]

For all its glaring faults, a reviewer finds promise in New Recovery.gov

A Sun Light Labs member examines New Recovery.gov, the government site that tracks stimulus spending, to find a lot needing improvement but a lot to be commended including  contracts and grants in the same venue. -DB Sun Light Labs Review September 29, 2009 By Tom Lee Recovery.gov relaunched yesterday, and we’ve spent some time playing [...]

Montana senator asks for accounting on lavish border post construction

Montana Senator Jon Tester asked Homeland Secrity Secretary Janet Napolitano for details of how money will be spent on remote border stations amid criticism that that millions will be wasted overbuilding facilities. -DB The Missoulian September 20, 2009 By Michael Jamison KALISPELL, Montana – Amid controversy over the high cost of building northern border ports, Sen. [...]

Report finds states lag in providing tracking of stimulus spending

A Washington research firm representing 35 public interest groups has found deficiencies in the Web performances of states as they track stimulus spending. Only four states were found to provide employment data when job creation is one of the chief goals of the recovery plan. -DB NextGov July 29, 2009 By Aliya Sternstein A study released [...]