From: Elliott Parker <3ZLU...@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list CARR-L <CAR...@ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU>
Subject: Fwd: DOE database closing soon
Date: Friday, February 21, 1997 11:29 AM
=================== Forwarded Message ===================
From: John Pike <johnp...@fas.org>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.govdoc-l
Subject: Action Alert!! DOE WWW
Date: Fri, 21 Feb 1997 09:15:17 -0500
Organization: Federation of American Scientists
The Department of Energy is on the verge of taking a really big and
really bad step away from openess and public accountability, but with
luck and some effort right now it may be possible to reverse this
decision.
The DOE Congressional Question and Answer/Testimony Database (QADB)
http://www.doe.gov/html/osti/qadbpg.html
is a WAIS database containing the full-text of the Department's
testimonies before Congressional Committees and/or Subcommittees and
pre- or post-Hearing questions and answers. QADB is sponsored by the
Office of the Executive Secretariat and is maintained by the Office of
Scientific and Technical Information.
If you have not used this marvelous facility, you should definitely
check it out, because it is absolutely the very best thing that any
government agency has ever done in terms of making such material readily
accessible to the public. There is just simply nothing like it anywhere
else, and it is a model that all other agencies should be required to
emulate.
The bad news is that the Congressional Question and Answer Database
has not been updated since last September.Bette Mohr of the Office of
the Executive Secretariate (Dept of Energy HR-7) has directed the
close-out of the QADB system during FY97. Funding for the close-out
activity is expected within the next month.
The reason for the decision is that continued downsizing at DOE means
there are not personnel available to keep this thing running and
updated. Basically, DOE has to prioritize things these days, and this
just didn't make the list of things to retain.
This would be a really bad thing, both in terms of making DOE
information available to the public, as well as in terms of setting
a really bad precedent for other government agencies.
However there doesn't seem to be much detailed awareness of just how
much effort it takes to keep the database up-to-date nor what it costs
annually. With answers to these questions and feedback from folks in
D.C. and elsewhere as to how valuable this service is it may be possible
to reverse the decision.
Support for continuing the DOE database is important in terms of
continuing O'Leary's openness efforts, the need for DOE to fully
involve its stakeholders in all major decisions, and the fact that
putting this stuff on the web should (in theory) free up remaining staff
to do things other than track down these materials for internal and
external requestors. Surely the DOE can find a few tens of thousands of
dollars and some part-time help to keep this thing alive.
Jim Solit at DOE is the head of the executive secretariat [and a nice
guy]. Jim said he'd be glad to hear from folks about this, but if you do
contact him, don't treat him as the bad guy. He can be reached at (202)
586-5230 or via e-mail at -- jim.so...@hq.doe.gov If you do send e-mail,
cc a copy to Dan Reicher at-- dan.reic...@hq.doe.gov
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John Pike
Federation of American Scientists http://www.fas.org/
Space Policy Project http://www.fas.org/spp/
Public Eye http://www.fas.org/eye/
Intelligence Reform Project http://www.fas.org/irp/
Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.
- Jefferson
Forwarded by List Owner --------------------------------------------
Elliott Parker BITNET: 3ZLUFUR@CMUVM
Journalism Dept. Internet: elliott.par...@cmich.edu
Central Michigan University The WELL: epar...@well.com
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859 USA URL:mailto:3zlu...@cmich.edu
