Check out how Data.gov is making news. You'll also discover stories about Open Government and how Data.gov supports its core principles of transparency, participation and collaboration.
Spending bill to prevent shutdown and furloughs targets IT programs—Federal Computer Week
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The bill would prevent a government shutdown, assure agencies money, and provide funds for defense spending. IT is taking a hard hit in the newly proposed continuing resolution that House appropriators released April 12, the agreement that provides funding through the end of fiscal 2011 and prevents -- for now -- a government shutdown. The cuts represent decreases compared to fiscal 2010 spending and to President Barack Obama's fiscal 2011 budget request.
E-government funds slashed in newly-introduced budget—Fierce Government IT
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The General Services Administration's electronic government fund will be slashed under the presumptive fiscal 2011 budget, introduced April 11 into the House as H.R. 1473 (.pdf). The House now has three days to approve the legislation before it moves to the Senate for passage.
A small price for transparency—The Roanoke Times
Friday, April 8, 2011
So far in the 2011 budget year, the federal government has spent $22 billion in Virginia. Defense giant Northrop Grumman alone took in $787 million in the commonwealth. The Virginia Department of Education received $153 million. How do we know that? It is public information. The federal government provides spending data online at usaspending.gov, data.gov and other sites. Citizens can find out in tremendous detail how their tax dollars are spent. At least they can now. Those resources are in peril.
Federal websites might be unattended or go dark during furloughs—Federal Computer Week
Thursday, April 7, 2011
With a possible government shutdown looming, many questions arose today about the fate of federal websites. Would agency and departmental websites remain live online, would they be maintained and secured, would they go dark, or some combination of those situations?
Open Letter: Congress Must Protect Transparency Programs in Budget Negotiations—SunLight Foundation via Targeted News Service
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Today we are releasing an open letter to congressional leaders in an effort to save vital transparency programs. In light of quickly evolving circumstances, we prepared the following document and are encouraging organizations and individuals to sign-on. Please add your names and organizations in the comments. Later on we will transmit the final version with the signatories.
Data.gov in crisis: the open data movement is bigger than just one site—The Guardian Blog
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
About two years ago, Data.gov launched as a big step towards government transparency and accountability. A few months later, New York and San Francisco released their own data sites for detailed, city-specific data, and Data.gov.uk launched not too long after. Needless to say, a movement for open government was building momentum, and the popularity of data itself in other sectors continues to rise.
Data.gov is a project for the few - but they really matter, says Tom Steinberg—The Guardian Blog
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Tom Steinberg, the founder of the MySociety charity (which gave you the wonders of theyworkforyou, making Hansard accessible, and publicwhip.org, which shows you how MPs have voted), has weighed in to the debate about the proposed closure in the US of the data.gov site, already beloved of data wonks everywhere.
House restores some e-gov funding in CR—Federal News Radio
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Several of the Obama administration's openness and transparency initiatives may be getting a reprieve. The House Appropriations Committee included $17 million for the E-Government Fund in the latest continuing resolution to fund the government for the rest of fiscal 2011. It still is far below the $35 million the administration requested and below the $20 million the Senate approved, but it will stave off the need to shut down eight sites and one initiative starting in May.
Open Data, Transparency Sites That Helped Gov't Save Billions To Be Shut Down Over $30 Million?—TechDirt
Monday, April 4, 2011
While we've faulted the Obama administration for its many, many failings on the promised transparency front, the one area where they actually had done some good was with their work on the IT side, where the CTO and CIO had created some pretty cool websites sharing important data with the public, and pushing federal agencies to be a lot more transparent about their federal IT spending.
Asking the wrong question about Data.gov—Premise Blog
Monday, April 4, 2011
Following the news that the US Congress might cut the funding for various flagship data sites like Data.gov, the following debate has sprung up on a little Q&A site - "What would you change about Data.gov to get more people to care?"
