some agitation from the right
Chris Kinnan
July 7, 2008
The blogger Alaskan Librarian has a list of things he'd like done by
the next president. I share at least one of his wishes, "to see policy
formulated in the open."
Specifically, he wants candidates to sign the Reason Foundation's
"Oath of Presidential Transparency." The pledge has two parts. The
first endorses "effective management, accountability, transparency,
and disclosure" of federal spending. The second is a commitment to
enforce the Federal Funding and Accountability Act, passed by Congress
in 2006.
This legislation was introduced by Senator Tom Coburn. Both Barack
Obama and John McCain signed on as co-sponsors. It requires all
recipients of federal funds to be fully disclosed on the Web. And hey,
they even set up a website.
Obama has already signed the Oath of Presidential Transparency. I have
to wonder who is asleep at the McCain camp, given that their candidate
has yet to add his John Hancock. Same goes for Ralph Nader,
Libertarian Bob Barr and the Green and Constitution Party nominees.
But since we're all in agreement here, let's demand more.
Like what? Like real-time updates about budget items, allowing
citizens time to protest particular pork projects and other
prodigalities. Like forbidding the last-minute stuffing of earmarks
into reconciliations bills.
Maybe we need a new compact with our government, one where, as Leslie
Graves of the Lucy Burns Institute suggests, there would be "No
taxation without information."
This is Common Sense. I'm Paul Jacob.
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