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Recovery.gov Not Very Transparent

Posted by timothy on from the why-do-you-despise-progress? dept.

Bob the Super Hamste writes "CNN is reporting that the page recovery.gov is not as transparent as it claims to be. The examples pointed out are: 1. The user is greeted by a large pie chart that show the breakdown of money spent by 2 categories, state government distributions and local government distributions. 2. Finding projects involves a complicated search, information on projects is not actually hosted on recovery.gov 3. The format of the information available is of poor quality (the article specifically mentions a PDF document that was created from a scanned sideways copy of roadwork projects from New York state). Given that this site was meant to make the spending of the new stimulus money more transparent to the citizens of the Unites States of America it seems oddly opaque. CNN does seem to praise the ability for government agencies to be able to exchange HTML based information between systems, which for government I would call a massive accomplishment. I tried to find information for my state and searched for Minnesota. I got 4 matches, 2 of which were generic ones: one was the Minnesota state certification that is required for a state to receive funds and one that lays out public transportation spending for all states of which Minnesota gets $94,093,115."

9 of 222 comments (clear)

  1. Not very transparent? by Yvan256 · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's because IE6 doesn't support alpha in PNG images. It's time to upgrade your browser, dude.

  2. Yes they could make it much easier. by rackserverdeals · · Score: 5, Funny

    Finding projects involves a complicated search, information on projects is not actually hosted on recovery.gov

    Instead of complicated search, just a pie chart showing a few categories. This money was wasted, this money was not wasted, we have no idea what happened to this money but we no longer have it and I could have sworn we had it.

    --
    Dual Opteron < $600
    1. Re:Yes they could make it much easier. by mi · · Score: 3, Funny

      What this tells me more than anything else is that although they want to be transparent, the people who put this together know almost nothing about presentation of data.

      Man, this data presentation job sucks! Mocking McCain's computer-illiteracy last year was sooo much more fun...

      --
      In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
  3. I'm shocked. by MindlessAutomata · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm completely and profoundly shocked over this startling revelation.

  4. Re:The Fleecing of America by Hordeking · · Score: 3, Funny

    Just please tell us where all this money is going. Be accountable for your actions. Be HONEST! The days of hiding shit are over.

    Oh where, oh where art thou? How may I join thee in thy fantasy world?

    --
    Disclaimer: The opinions and actions of the US Gov't are in no way representative of those held by this author or its ci
  5. Re:well at least... by larry+bagina · · Score: 4, Funny

    Nah, Barack Obama's teleprompter didn't tell him how to set up the permissions.

    --
    Do you even lift?

    These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

  6. Re:a curious attack by larry+bagina · · Score: 5, Funny

    as funny as a guy who works at slashdot pointing out how shitty the slashdot stories are?

    --
    Do you even lift?

    These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

  7. Re:Better than nothing by ConceptJunkie · · Score: 2, Funny

    I just think it's the most amazing coincidence that we got the only competent and non-corrupt politician out of the entire state of Illinois in the White House. Dodged a real bullet there.

    --
    You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
  8. Re:It's about web design by FiloEleven · · Score: 3, Funny

    that was damaged by the flood that I sometimes walk on

    Jesus? Is that you?

    --
    Your brain is not a computer.