Data Quality Act

The New York Times has a heads-up about a little-noticed add-on to a massive appropriations bill, signed into law by Clinton but taking effect in October. The amendment allows anyone to challenge data published by the Federal government and have it changed or deleted. The main proponents of the law are pro-business groups seeking to tie up environmental and similar regulations by challenging the government's data.

Comments

Can We Callanmge the SEC and FAASB?

[linuxislandsucks]

With all the news about fraudalent accounting can we challegne gov's data from SEC and FAASB concerning frims liek MS and CISco who play accountign scams?

Eyeballs

[valentyn]

Given enough eyeballs, all your documents are shallow.

Change or Delete the Data?

[Angry Toad]

Fabulous. Now lawyers will be the final framers of the scientific and technical truth. They've done such a spectacular job with the concept of "justice" that this is only the next logical step.

Lots of things have been described as "Orwellian" lately, and this just follows the trend...

Liberals

[dome]

The main proponents of the law are pro-business groups seeking to tie up environmental and similar regulations by challenging the government's data.

Whine, whine, piss, bitch and moan. OH NO, big business is going to destroy mother nature!!! OH NO! Quit your bitching.

Fact of the matter is, half the environmental "data" that is produced by the federal gov't comes from private organizations who are already hell-bent on saving every last inch of nature at whatever expense is necessary (fraudulent/deceiptful data). It's bullshit.

Corporations have nothing to do with it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Anyone can challenge the numbers, not just businesses.

However, "from the corrupt to the profiteers" is an improvement. The profiteers only profit by providing needed goods and services; corporations (except where government interferes) exist to serve the people through the accountability of the free market.

Final Framers of Truth

[Anonymous Coward]

So it is OK that political power groups would remain the final framers of scientific and technical truth?

I'm usually the last to defend lawyers, but in this case I have no problem with lawyers getting involved in damaging the power of the ruling class to control our lives and create whatever "truth" it wants to perpetuate its own power.

Re:Global warming

[Anonymous Coward]

Here's another little bit of facts you can stuff in your backpocket:

NASAs global temperature satellite data shows virtually no change in average global temperature (search for it yourself!).

If there is any global warming whatsoever, its going to happen so slowly that we will have the technology to either fix the problem or leave the planet en masse before it gets bad.

End the War On (Some) Drugs

[Patrick May]

This could be a powerful tool for those of us interested in eliminating the costly, futile, foolish, and evil War On (Some) Drugs. The vast majority of respectable research demonstrates that the harm caused by drug use is far less than the government would have you believe and the harm caused by the drug warriors is much greater. Providing a means for us to challenge the bogus information currently used to support this travesty of justice could result in finally bringing some sanity to the discussion.

Then again, as the man said, "If voting could change anything, it would be illegal."

Re:More work for the overworked

[Anonymous Coward]

Excellent point. I believe this is exactly why this law is being supported by big business. What better way to keep a lid on any "scientific evidence" you don't like than by keeping it mired in some dumb law until it becomes useless. Already you see big business is using it to suppress information about global climate change, and I would not be surprised to start seeing challenges to documentation about evolution by creationists.