I get it. Anything the Democrats want, Republicans oppose. If Democrats make concessions toward Republicans, Republicans reject the concessions and make new demands.
But this is absurd.
The Electronic Government Fund has been one of the most effective expenditures of the last few decades. Not only has it helped identify projects that need to be cut, but in the process it has produced impressive open source software that makes American businesses more competitive.
Yet partisan "deficit hawks" are scheming to eliminate it, cutting the budget from a paltry $34 million to $2 million, barely enough to keep the lights on, starting now.
What would this cut kill? Take a look:
- Data.Gov, which aggregates all government data sets in one location
- USASpending.gov, which identifies where government contracts are going.
- Recalls.gov, which lets you learn about product recalls at the point of sale, as well as all other mobile government applications.
- Challenge.gov, which collects citizen input on programs and can lead to funding for good ideas.
- The IT Dashboard, which we highlighted last week, allowing the tracking of government software projects.
- Fedspace.gov, a wiki enabling coordination of work between government departments.
- app.gov/now, which enables departments to launch their own wikis at no cost.
There's no excuse for this. Even the Tea Party Express wants this kind of government transparency and effectiveness. The only people who benefit from these cuts are lobbyists whose advantage lies in exclusive access to information. And if I were really a tribune of the people (as these new Republicans claim to be) I would be making some phone calls right now to see who came up with this harebrained scheme and how fast they can be fired.
Remember, we're not talking about deficit reduction here, or even a smaller government. We're talking about $34 million that has already produced some incredible tools for creating a smaller government and reducing the deficit. It's like stabbing out your own eyes in the name of better eye care.
The Sunlight Foundation, which has pushed for these kinds of programs for years, has just begun banging the drum to save the data and restore the cuts. We need to fight for these effective programs, and this good software, now, hard, because it's the only access to government most of us have.
And once that fight is won, we need to shed some sunlight on the asshats who got this proposal through to this stage, and make sure they're kicked out of Washington for good.
You’re assuming the Republicans want what they say they want. According to David Brin, what they want is unlimited power for the ultra-rich, whose boy-toys they are, with neither government nor labor unions to stand in their way.
Of course, once they are in power, government will grow again, but in directions like Homeland Security and the Patriot Act, to protect everyone from enemies of the state both foreign and domestic.
Then there’s the theocrat wing ….
You’re assuming the Republicans want what they say they want. According to David Brin, what they want is unlimited power for the ultra-rich, whose boy-toys they are, with neither government nor labor unions to stand in their way.
Of course, once they are in power, government will grow again, but in directions like Homeland Security and the Patriot Act, to protect everyone from enemies of the state both foreign and domestic.
Then there’s the theocrat wing ….
Americans have faced these kinds of threats throughout its history — from the rich, from generals, from religious leaders, from entrenched interests of all types.
What distinguishes us, as a democracy, is that we have always beaten such things back. We don’t give any power permanently. Elections are temporary. We are capable of changing our minds. As we’ve proven the last two elections.
Regular readers here will know my feelings on this. This is a long-term trend that is in the process of being reversed, but such crises are always difficult, and it always appears to those who favor change that their cause is hopeless, and that the center can’t possibly hold.
Crazy is a lot more fun. Ask any hippie.
Maybe, some day, the center will not hold and America will fail. But I don’t believe it will be this day.
Americans have faced these kinds of threats throughout its history — from the rich, from generals, from religious leaders, from entrenched interests of all types.
What distinguishes us, as a democracy, is that we have always beaten such things back. We don’t give any power permanently. Elections are temporary. We are capable of changing our minds. As we’ve proven the last two elections.
Regular readers here will know my feelings on this. This is a long-term trend that is in the process of being reversed, but such crises are always difficult, and it always appears to those who favor change that their cause is hopeless, and that the center can’t possibly hold.
Crazy is a lot more fun. Ask any hippie.
Maybe, some day, the center will not hold and America will fail. But I don’t believe it will be this day.
Wayne Branch
Really informative article.Much thanks again. Keep writing.