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Open Gov Tracker Reveals Best US Open Government Ideas
jonverve writes "In May of 2009, the White House launched an Ideascale site to gather ideas from citizens to identify ways to 'strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness by making government more transparent, participatory, and collaborative.' The digital letdown was when many of the top ideas generated by the process were to legalize marijuana, solve tax issues and to reinvestigate Obama's birth origins. Fast forward to February 6 and the same process has been repeated with individual federal agencies as the subject. This time the idea generation has been much more productive, with ideas such as establishing clear benchmarks on humanitarian progress in Sudan to the State Department, funding for open source text books and materials to the Department of Education, making it easier to access previously FOIAed documents to the Department of Justice, and creating a Wiki for NASA to share its data and to engage the public. Hackers from NASA's Nebula cloud computing platform have created a site that aggregates 23 of these idea sites to give a quick peek into the best rated contributions in each category. Programmed in Python and using the MongoDB and Tornado web server, the Open Gov Tracker was highlighted by the open government blog Govfresh this past week as well. Jessy Cowan-Sharp, one of the creators, explained their motivation: 'We thought that a single access point would give a sense of the participation on all the different sites, a window into the discussions happening, build some excitement, and inspire people to participate.' The process closes on March 19th, so go and visit the site to contribute your ideas and vote!"
Or maybe that's because it's a worthwhile and viable policy objective.
Get off my lawn!
But this being the government, they just won't get it.
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
So, in other words, they didn't get the answers they wanted to hear. What a "letdown."
And "productive" means now they are.
Liberty in your lifetime
The Obama birth record bs I can understand... but why are "legalize marijuana, solve tax issues" big letdowns?
legalize marijuana: It could not only reduce the cost of law enforcement by tens or even hundreds of billions but provide valuable new jobs and revenue streams for taxation.
How about we follow the constitution?
The digital letdown was when many of the top ideas generated by the process were to legalize marijuana
Or maybe that's because it's a worthwhile and viable policy objective
Get off my grass!
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
Words means something.
They may not mean what you want them to mean, and they may not mean what they meant for about seven months in 1993, but they still mean something.
It may have been a letdown in terms of the goals of the project, but I think it was pretty successful in showing how much the government actually cares about these interactions. They're not after collaboration with the public in solving problems, they're after an image of openness, nothing more. Sure, if they run into an idea that's easy to implement and jives with their own agendas they'll run with it, but by and large it's just a marketing campaign.
Murphey's fighting Occam, and we're in the stands.
1) Reduces prison population -> reduces Government budget/deficit
2) Introduces new tax revenue -> increases government revenues & reduces deficit
3) Reduces crime rate - small-time marijuana dealers no longer have any customers as it's more convenient for smokers to buy from regulated sources, so small-time marijuana dealers move onto other things (some will move to harder drugs, but many who would move are already dealing those)
4) Whoever moves to legalize it first gains many votes from the millions of adults who regularly smoke it
It may have been a letdown in terms of the goals of the project, but I think it was pretty successful http://aldawaghranet.com/
Screw sharing my ideas with the incumbent. All this says to me is that they're running short on ideas and are begging for help. I say let's start a technocratic party since current policy makers have such difficulty with technical issues. We have a group of policy makers deciding the fate of the internet who probably ask their children how to configure their fucking network to get online at home.I also say legalize pot, America was founded on it anyway.. As far as other drugs are concerned, I say investigate ways to enable the countries who produce them to not have to rely on coke and heroin as cash crops and therefore take the power out of the hands of the drug lords and religious fanatics. Put that in you pipe and smoke it!
I took a look at the aggregated US Government idea site, but didn't see the
USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office).
The USPTO needs a lot of help as far as I'm concerned; too bad they aren't
accepting ideas. They do have a "feedback channel" http://www.uspto.gov/blog/feedback
but it seems pretty limited.
Oh, dear. This is why statistics so often lie. The question of _legalizing_ marijuana is often conflated with that of _decriminalizing_ it. Decriminalizing it would provide the first, third, and fourth benefits at least somewhat, and consistently gathers far more than 50% support in polls.
People like to look at the Big Picture because it's a lot easier than seeing the details. Details take work, but anybody can see the Big Picture. Or at least, believe that they do.
Fixing "the government" is something people think they can do. But the executive branch is made up of agencies, and most people haven't the faintest idea what those agencies do.
How do you fix the State Department? Well, what's wrong with the State Department? Plenty, if you ask State Department employees, who know what actually goes on inside it. Any idea how the Bureau of Consular Affairs coordinates with the Bureau of Diplomatic Security? Did you even know we had a Bureau of Diplomatic Security? Or the difference between its Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence and its Office of Intelligence and Threat Analysis?
Big, sweeping solutions like "legalize marijuana" seem like panaceas, but in fact the government is a vast, complex entity, like the company you work for scaled up by a factor of 1,000. Ending the war on drugs is certainly a good idea, but if you really want to fix government, it helps to know something about government, and not just
...a big disappointment to those who wish to control society for their personal ambitions, rather than respect the popular will. If you don't think legalizing marijuana is a critical issue, I guess the overwhelming force of public opinion isn't going to change your mind.
-I like my women like I like my tea: green-
You want marijuana to be legalised. Others do not. They've got the power to stop it. You have to work your way around it.
There is no right or wrong. It just comes down to how you feel about it and what you're willing to trade to make it happen.
For what it is worth, I don't care whether it is legal or illegal, so I win either way :-)
Goodness, I hate it when people start talking about their rights, and good, and bad, when all they really mean is that they want something.
1) Reduces prison population -> reduces Government budget/deficit - Too bad that prison is an industry, decriminalizing pot would hurt that industry at an average of $25,000 a year per person.
Does anyone have any idea which agency would be responsible for implementing a change in ballot methods (range voting/runoff/whatever)? The little I have read about these has convinced me that any improvement to our current voting system would be incredibly helpful. Which site would this idea best be submitted to?
Change! Before March 19!
..no matter how frusterated they are, are giving up their right to be involved in their democracy. Those of you who flame, whens the last time you attended a PAC or somehow worked for some cause you are passionate about? You know Erin Brockovich was a true story about a woman without formal law education, right?
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” - Teddy Roosevelt
I wonder how many ideas were to release the ACTA text.
Golf or tennis?
No, one of the top ideas was NOT to "legalize marijuana"! The third most popular item was to remove marijuana from Schedule 1, where its placement violates federal law, the DEA's own internal regulations, and peer-reviewed science!
Click on the "marijuana link" in the summary and read the item for yourself.
This is a simple matter of paying attention to science and obeying the law as written.
The rules for Schedule I are:
A) The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
(B) The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
C) There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.
The best available scientific and medical evidence and opinion clearly shows that criteria B and C do not apply. The only way one can claim A applies is via a circular argument: all cannabis use DEFINED as abuse, therefore it has a high potential for abuse.
The logic of scheduling Cannabis at no higher than IV, and most accurately at Schedule V, is further shown by the DEA itself - by scheduling pure 100% THC at Schedule III!
Clearly a preparation that is only about 10% as potent should have a lower ranking. One should note that Schedule V consists ENTIRELY of drugs with higher rankings (from I down to III) in reduced potency preparations. This the reason that this low scheduling category exists.
If the rules of classification are objectively and scientifically applied the it would rank no higher than Schedule V, the lowest and least restrictive.
Starships were meant to fly, Hands up and touch the sky - Nicky Minaj
I for one would like the proceedings of the Senate and Congress available on the Internet. Preferably in an open format
It makes no sense that Congress could make a concession to C-span and that C-span can copyright the video.
All works created by the U.S. Government are in the public domain, are they not?
"... strengthen our democracy ..."
But, we're not even a Democracy. Democracy isn't all it's cut out it to be anyway.
Please support proposals such as the proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) called "Public funding = Public viewing" (by voting for them, making positive comments, etc.). This proposal recommends that publicly funded projects must be published as open access and all data and code shared as open source software. If "We the people" pay for research and development, then "we the people" should get the results. If there aren't existing proposals for certain agencies, please add them.
As I've commented before, Government-developed Unclassified Software should be default be released as Open Source Software, and U.S. research should be open access. The current model, especially for research and development, isn't working.
- David A. Wheeler (see my Secure Programming HOWTO)
How about we follow the constitution?
The whole strict "constructionism" p.o.v. might apply if we all went back to the days of the horse and buggy, oil lamps, whole groups relegated to second class citizenship, etc..
"21,000 Flexible Public Fabrication Facilities across the USA"
http://opengov.ideascale.com/a/dtd/8412-4049
Also:
"Revisit the Triple Revolution Memorandum sent to President Johnson"
http://opengov.ideascale.com/a/dtd/8402-4049
Also:
"Something I tried to post here but did not appear:
"Policy Forum on Public Access to Federally Funded Research: Implementation""
http://www.cnewmark.com/2009/12/making-govt-work-a-huge-step.html#comments
"""
Summary: This topic of how government funds academic research is fairly inseparable from related STEM education issues that touch on every aspect of the USA as it becomes a 21st-century society heavily dependent on science and technology while at the same time facing an employment crisis (in part from automation and better design causing structural unemployment -- even within academia and related research institutions). The essay explores problems with the current research funding model (of which open publication is just one part) with connections to all levels of the K-emeritus academic enterprise. Then it points towards some solutions like a "basic income" to help the USA transition to a full-fledged 21st century "post-scarcity" society where giving information away under open licenses would be the default in most situations.
"""
And I've posted stuff on how treating vitamin D deficiency could save hundreds of billions of dollars a year in US medical costs:
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/treatment.shtml
A 21st century issue: the irony of technologies of abundance in the hands of those still thinking in terms of scarcity.
The idea itself may not be bad, but as a suggestion to open.gov it is bad simply because it is completely politically infeasible to implement at this time. You may as well be wishing for ponies.
Craft Beer Programming T-shirts
1) Reduces prison population -> reduces Government budget/deficit - Too bad that prison is an industry, decriminalizing pot would hurt that industry at an average of $25,000 a year per person.
Maybe they could get useful jobs that actually contribute something productive to society rather than the ridiculous make-work job they have now enforcing the detention of people put in prison for no good reason.
It's not enough to bash in heads, you've got to bash in minds. - Captain Hammer
Who's kidding whom? Government can be improved by reducing the numbers of thieving politicians and incompetent and bungling bureaucrats interfering with our lives, not by thinking of ways to employ more of them. My proposal is to amend the constitution to require that 5 percent of politicians and bureaucrats be fired every 4 years, and only where absolutely necessary for the continued functioning of essential services, be replaced. Another improvement would be to strengthen freedom of information laws and compliance requirements by imposing substantial penalties, including criminal prosecution, fines and imprisonment, in the worst cases, as well as subjecting them to court actions for punitive damages, brought as either suits by individuals and class action suits, for failure to disclose information within a reasonable time. A further improvement would be to make politicians in office, especially heads of government departments, governors, presidents, and prime ministers, and their chief advisors, personally liable to those harmed, for corruption under their watches, and for making dishonest or stupid decisions, including enacting laws, that harm people, businesses and classes.
You forget one thing: Small time marijuana dealers will become those regulated sources. Since they finally can make their business an official business.
Or they can stay unofficial, and thereby be cheaper because of avoiding taxation.
But in any way, it will create more legal jobs. Also usage will go way up.
Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
The idea itself may not be bad, but as a suggestion to open.gov it is bad simply because it is completely politically infeasible to implement at this time. You may as well be wishing for ponies.
The third highest ranked suggestion was not legalization of marijuana - it was merely removing it from Schedule I since the legal criteria for scheduling do not support it (never trust a Slashdot summary).
Expecting that existing law actually be followed may be a really radical notion in Washington, but I submit it is not "politically infeasible". Still, if it does not please the halls of power and money (and it doesn't) then we might better hope for ponies.
Starships were meant to fly, Hands up and touch the sky - Nicky Minaj
You forget one thing: Small time marijuana dealers will become those regulated sources. Since they finally can make their business an official business. Or they can stay unofficial, and thereby be cheaper because of avoiding taxation.
But in any way, it will create more legal jobs. Also usage will go way up.
I don't think this is the best way to implement legalization. In Washington State liquor can only be sold from state-run stores, which decreases our alcohol consumption here and better avoids sales to minors -- this would be a far better way to tax and regulate cannabis.
As for usage going up, I'm not so sure. Maybe for a short period of time, but the Netherlands has the most liberal cannabis laws in Europe while enjoying the smallest percentage of users. Though, in my opinion, the world would be a better place if everybody smoked it ;) Certainly they would be healthier if they switched from alcohol to cannabis.
I use friend/foe to signal strong [dis]agreement instead of mod points. What else are f/f good for?
legalize marijuana: It could not only reduce the cost of law enforcement by tens or even hundreds of billions
That's the "letdown" right there. Prohibition is a billion-dollar business, and the elite at the top of the power pyramid are NOT going to give that up.
Why not go further and outsource the government? Or make it into a franchise. You could call it McGovernment.
Of course, all of the winning ideas will be accepted, thrown out to gov't contractors, which in turn will create solutions that drives their profit and create cost overruns and missed deadlines.
Big win for companies, not necessarily for the citizen.
1) Reduces prison population -> reduces Government budget/deficit
- Too bad that prison is an industry, decriminalizing pot would hurt that industry at an average of $25,000 a year per person.
Maybe they could get useful jobs that actually contribute something productive to society rather than the ridiculous make-work job they have now enforcing the detention of people put in prison for no good reason.
I'm fairly sure the prison guards,i.e. the "enforcers", aren't profiting that much more from the switch from public to private prisons. Instead, it's wardens and any exectutives above them that are really benefiting from the new status quo.
Well, a lot fewer inmates in prison for stupid reasons would lead to a lot less need for guards. It would also hopefully lead to a dramatic reduction in money being funneled to those prison executives. We've got a lot of better uses for that money than putting potheads in jail.
It's not enough to bash in heads, you've got to bash in minds. - Captain Hammer