One problem with reports from large bureaucracies
Posted: November 28, 2010 Filed under: Accountability, Bureaucracy, Special Interest Groups Leave a comment »http://aidwatchers.com/2010/11/one-problem-with-reports-from-large-bureaucracies/
KPC: Does ICE stand for “Idiots Couldn’t Explain”?
Posted: December 6, 2009 Filed under: 1984, Accountability, Corruption, Government Leave a comment »“Hans Joachim Kiel is a U.S. citizen. Demonstrably. He has a passport. He served in the U.S. Air Force.
But he was arrested in Branson, MO by the intrepid folks at ICE. They said he was using a false passport.
Okay, maybe. ICE was worried about human trafficking, and there was a Western Samoan dance troupe there. (Here is their web site. Some pretty studly guys. Tommy the Brit: You are welcome!) There was some kind of investigation. So it wasn’t just made up.
Except….except that ICE held Keil for three months. Are our records so bad that it takes three months to check on a passport? (He wasn’t in jail, but he couldn’t leave Branson. Is that “trailer park arrest,” like house arrest but Branson style?”
http://mungowitzend.blogspot.com/2009/12/does-ice-stand-for-idiots-couldnt.html
Intentions and Results
Posted: November 3, 2009 Filed under: Accountability, Methodology Leave a comment »Intentions and Results
Three Days of Obama Care
Posted: October 7, 2009 Filed under: Accountability, Government, Health Care, Uncategorized Leave a comment »Sent to you via Google Reader
Three Days of Obama Care
It’s such a simple idea. Yet powerful. Compelling. Alluring. Irresistible.
And it’s scaring the bejeebies out of the health reform crowd on Capitol Hill.
Here it is: Before Congress votes on a final health reform bill, the full text goes up on the Internet for everyone in the nation to read, along with the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score — giving the expected price tag and the expected impact on seniors, small business, employer-based coverage, etc.
Pursuing Open Government in Three Days of the Condor
Think about it. For three days and three nights, everybody in the country can read, debate, discuss and give last-minute “up” or “down” input to their congressional representatives.
What’s so terrifying about that?
Here’s a summary of where the idea stands in the House, prepared by the NCPA’s Brian Williams:
- Congress has rushed through several pieces of legislation this year, allowing little or no time to read the actual text of the legislation before voting. This is a common abuse of power when one party controls the legislative process (in other words, Republicans were not immune either).
- When she was elected as Speaker, Nancy Pelosi promised that members would have at least 24 hours to examine bills prior to floor consideration. See page 24 of the Speaker’s New Direction for America.
- However, the Speaker has broken her own 24-hour rule multiple times by rushing through dozens of major bills. Recent examples on the list include several bills that were more than 1,000 pages in length, such as economic stimulus legislation, cap-and-trade legislation and S-CHIP expansion.
- A House rules change has been introduced (H. Res. 554) that would require legislation to be available on the Internet for 72 hours before consideration. The resolution was introduced by Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA) and currently has 164 cosponsors.
- Because the Democratic leadership won’t consider H. Res. 554, a motion to discharge (a “discharge petition”) was introduced on September 23 and is currently collecting signatures.
- A discharge petition bypasses the Speaker and Democrat-controlled committees to bring the measure directly to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Daniel J. SmithSent Via Mobile Phone
