[mailto:openhouseproject@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Perla Ni
Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 1:24 AM
To: openhouseproject@googlegroups.com
Subject: [openhouseproject] Transparency of committee hearings -
transcript/audio/video

Hey guys,

We just did a survey of what transcripts/audio/video is available from
Congressional Committees.  We've heard from lots of advocacy groups that
the real stuff is in the committtees rather than on the floor debates
and that they need to know what's happening in these committees inorder
to follow and participate in the issues.

What we've found is pretty sad.   Here's the state of available
video/audio/transcript for House and Senate committees:
http://www.voterwatch.org/index.php/voterwatch/blog/

You'll notice how many committees for which there is no audio, no video
nor transcript available.  Including the Ethics committee, ironically.

Also, for the ones that do post video, either it's not posted until
months after or it's posted, but not archived so if you miss it, you've
missed it.

I know that Carl Malamud, John and others have made progress on this
issue.  (I know the short term procedure is to use the public order
form, get it signed by the committee chair and then pay $65 for each 60
minutes of video - all of which add up to a pretty substantial obstacle
to get information, I'd say.  Or we could try calling up each committee,
asking for a particular day's transcript/video/audio - this is pretty
labor intensive and may get the committee staffers irritated with our
many requests )

Does anyone have any idea on the timetable for the next step that was
proposed - for Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Brady approve having the
videos on FTP servers?  From what I've heard from staffers, all the
rooms are already wired for video last year.

--
Perla Ni
CEO, Founder, GreatNonprofits
www.greatnonprofits.org
"Online Zagat's Guide" About Nonprofits

Founder, Voterwatch.org
www.voterwatch.org
"Searchable CSPAN" for research and web publication

415-902-2659
Skype: Perlani
ni.pe...@gmail.com

> Perla,

> Check out this study I did last year on this very topic. These two blog
> posts contain all my research from the 109th Congress. (I have a pdf
> somewhere but I think it's on my mac at home.)

> House Version: http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/node/1596
> And
> Senate Version: http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/node/1617

> Awesome work covering this for the 110th Congress,

> Paul

> -----Original Message-----
> From: openhouseproject@googlegroups.com
> [mailto:openhouseproject@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Perla Ni
> Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 1:24 AM
> To: openhouseproject@googlegroups.com
> Subject: [openhouseproject] Transparency of committee hearings -
> transcript/audio/video

> Hey guys,

> We just did a survey of what transcripts/audio/video is available from
> Congressional Committees.  We've heard from lots of advocacy groups that
> the real stuff is in the committtees rather than on the floor debates
> and that they need to know what's happening in these committees inorder
> to follow and participate in the issues.

> What we've found is pretty sad.   Here's the state of available
> video/audio/transcript for House and Senate committees:
> http://www.voterwatch.org/index.php/voterwatch/blog/

> You'll notice how many committees for which there is no audio, no video
> nor transcript available.  Including the Ethics committee, ironically.

> Also, for the ones that do post video, either it's not posted until
> months after or it's posted, but not archived so if you miss it, you've
> missed it.

> I know that Carl Malamud, John and others have made progress on this
> issue.  (I know the short term procedure is to use the public order
> form, get it signed by the committee chair and then pay $65 for each 60
> minutes of video - all of which add up to a pretty substantial obstacle
> to get information, I'd say.  Or we could try calling up each committee,
> asking for a particular day's transcript/video/audio - this is pretty
> labor intensive and may get the committee staffers irritated with our
> many requests )

> Does anyone have any idea on the timetable for the next step that was
> proposed - for Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Brady approve having the
> videos on FTP servers?  From what I've heard from staffers, all the
> rooms are already wired for video last year.

> --
> Perla Ni
> CEO, Founder, GreatNonprofits
> www.greatnonprofits.org
> "Online Zagat's Guide" About Nonprofits

> Founder, Voterwatch.org
> www.voterwatch.org
> "Searchable CSPAN" for research and web publication

> 415-902-2659
> Skype: Perlani
> ni.pe...@gmail.com