Reminder: Still time to Register for Afloat on the Wireless Pond - Saturday, March 1

Minnesota’s Hidden Heroes in the News

• There are many things about MinnPost that are worthy of note - the first rate team of investigative journalists, the style, the tone, the format. From my perspective as an information junky, MinnPost adds a subtle but significant spin by focusing not just on the news but on the behind-the-scenes work. Yesterday’s blog was about hidden heroes of Minnesota history; today’s MinnPost offers some timely examples:
• There’s a great piece from the Minnesota Historical Society, a MinnPost partner, about how to locate death certificate information collected over the decades by meticulous government employees, now organized and made accessible through the Minnesota Historical Society. This incredible resource, representing countless hours of work by skilled and committed public servants, is now accessible on the web.
• A second article describes the ways in which the Poetry Foundation is opening up its extensive, and carefully maintained, poetry collection by engaging comic strip illustrators to add their creative interpretation to sometimes inscrutable literary works. Somebody logged and indexed and catalogs those hundreds of thousands of poems now enhanced and shared online.
• The third story spotlights a different “hidden heroine,” in this case a Spanish-English translator, a woman who connected the dots to solve the puzzle of the mysterious illness that struck packing house workers in Austin. If you ever want to observe the mind of a “hidden heroine” at work, here is a superb example
• And finally, MinnPost itself plays an essential role by sharing this latent information with a readership that will use that information to achieve its potential. Today is just one example of an ongoing emphasis of the journal.

All of which raises digital age questions: How will MinnPost and other digital resources be preserved, organized, made accessible for future Minnesotans who want to know about what’s going on today? What is the public good of that preserved and organized information? What is the responsibility of public institutions to take the long view? How are we addressing the preparation of Minnesotans to understand the power of information or their information rights?

Announcing: Hidden Heroes of Minnesota History Wiki *

Minnesota Sesquicentennial Question: Who is a “hidden hero” of Minnesota history? How do we know what we know about our state? Who gathered all those files, that data, the maps, the diaries, the photos that tell the story, that give us a glimpse into our past? And who is doing that now in our digital age? What were the skills of the archivist? The selector? The curator? The indexer? The librarian? The genealogist? The publisher?

Most of all, who are these people. For the most part, they didn’t make history - and they surely didn’t make it into the history books -- but they are essential links to understanding Minnesota at 150 years or at our Bicentennial in 2058.

These are the questions that keep coming to me as we’ve prepared for the March 2008 Afloat on the wireless pond conference. Compulsive surfer that I am I’ve sifted through the digital record to spot and shine a flicker of light on those hidden heroes and heroines. Knowing that I’m barely touching the surface, I’ve made no attempt to go beyond the digital record.

The Afloat conference is upon us now so I’m taking a break in the surfing expedition to post the little nuggets I’ve dug up so far. Just as the Minnesota History Center encourages the public to add to their Sesquicentennial wiki of famous folks I’m asking you to contribute to this mini-wiki by putting a name, maybe a face, on some of those self-effacing public servants, scholars, collectors, archivists, genealogists or much-maligned packrats who’ve seen to it that we know the stories. Be sure to include those who are exploring with gusto the ways in which information age technology is expanding and enhancing access.

That’s what the Afloat conference is all about - the jumpstart to a hidden hero wiki! Thanks for your help!

* My definition of “hero” is inclusive, particularly since an extraordinary number of these heroes are very female

Mary Treacy

Traditional Press & Bloggers Met Monday...

3-2-1 Dive into the wireless pond! It’s not too late to sign up for the “Afloat on the wireless pond” conference set for Saturday, March 1. Curious about the theme? Remember that the genesis of the idea emerged from the 2007 conference focused on Henry Thoreau’s little-known travels in Minnesota. The idea was, and is, Thoreau-inspired -- a time, place and stimulus for Minnesotans to reflect on the reality of living in an information world. We spend far more time mastering the tools than giving a passing thought to the social, economic, political and aesthetic upheaval in which we float. The setting on the beautiful Luther Seminary campus sets the stage; the diverse presenters play unique roles - a geographer, data manager, philosopher, educator, city planner, poet, journalist and other thoughtful colleagues willing to share their expertise and their insights. How do you plan to spend the extra day this week? There’s still time to sign up.

The “traditional” press and the bloggers met Monday night in the opulent splendor of the new Minnesota Public Radio to share insights on standards and ethics in journalism. Bob Collins played the ringleader/MPR blogger role while guest Dan Gillmor focused on content. Gillmor has clearly given much thought to what is and what is possible to support an informed society -- and a readership that wants to learn. Just about everybody had something to say - several men and at least four women (one a “panelist”) got to speak. Maybe it was the cold outside, but no one seemed in any hurry to leave, even after pretty much everything had been said. Many thanks to the Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists which set the stage for this diverse audience. It’s the jumpstart of an essential and more substantive conversation, virtual or mano a mano. The questions raised, sometimes answered, testify to the need for more.

Molnau Sold Farm Near Road She Pushed.
Read this from the information access - investigative journalism - perspective.

For Political Candidates, Saying Can Become Believing. I’ve often thought about this because I sometimes tell a story with such enthusiasm and regularity that I believe it myself. In fact, it often gets better with the telling. Ask any storyteller or Irishman.

GAO Finds Data Protection Lagging The balance between openness and privacy is being played out in Congress. Minnesota’s very own Senator Norm Coleman, along with Susan Collins (R-ME), chairs the committee that called for a study of data protection after the 2006 theft of a data-laden computer from a VA employee. Collins notes that “the findings released in this report are very troubling -- indicating that agency after agency has failed to make securing citizens' personal information a high priority."

Video on the Net: The Content Question, by Jeffrey A. Hart. On one level this isn’t specifically about access to government information, but it’s certainly grist for the mill of anyone who cares about an informed public. Hart offers a straightforward analysis of the topic, in layman’s terms.
On Tuesday, February 26, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing on Electronic Records Preservation at the White House. The Committee, led by Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA-30), has been investigating what happened to millions of missing White House emails and what the White House is now doing to make sure it is preserving its records in compliance with the Presidential Records Act.

New from Sunshine Week -- a new partnership with Helium that creates a special page where anyone can write about open government issues or this year’s election theme. The Sunshine Week promos on the SW website deserve an affirmative vote. Check them out.

They Also Serve Who Only Stand

The cadence doesn’t quite work, but it’s still a good idea. For a long time now I’ve been compiling what’s heretofore been known as “Hidden Heroes of Minnesota History”. It’s a Sesquicentennial diversion about which I’m getting more serious. Thus, I’m shedding the allegedly sexist “heroes” title for the more ubiquitous “They.” The point is the same:

We wouldn’t know about the Big Heroes if we didn’t have a legacy of countless unnamed heroes - individuals, organizations, funders, visionaries - who have pack ratted, collected, preserved, organized, tabulated, digitized, mapped, cataloged, indexed, reprinted, reformatted or otherwise opened the doors to the recorded history of our state -- or the cosmos, for that matter.

The process of making history available demands vision, collaboration, and a commitment to the past and to the future. Headline seekers need not apply. If egomania is not your thing, you too can join the ranks of the “also servers” by adding to this fledgling compilation of hidden heroes, heroines, and heroic organizations.

I’m about to post my totally random compilation, leaving it to others to amend and/or organize the list. Most important, please add your suggestions by emailing me with a jot or a treatise describing the “also servers” who have opened the door for you.

Preserving Minnesota’s digital resources: Along similar lines, the Minnesota office of Enterprise Technology recently submitted a mandated report to the Minnesota Legislature. Preserving the Present: Creating, Accessing and Maintaining Minnesota’s Electronic Documents, now available online, reflects the collective work of the agency and a survey of stakeholders. Citing the dynamic nature of technology innovation, the report specifically declines to recommend the adoption of a particular format standard. The study concludes that “the choice or use of a standard must not be to adopt a standard for the sake of adopting a standard. Any choice must be in the context of what value such a decision adds to government.”

The report goes on to identify several concrete, practical steps that the state can take to address electronic records policy issues.

Our Cells, Ourselves. Joel Garreau of the Washington Post poses a whole lot of tough questions for a Sunday morning. Taking a global look at the impact of the cell phone, Garreau ponders the question of whether the cell phone, now a global factor, frees or tethers us. He doesn’t answer that question, either, but he does leave me turning it over in my mind. Turn your cell off for the few minutes it will take to read this thoughtful piece.

Quote: "When information which properly belongs to the public is systematically withheld by those in power, the people soon become ignorant of their own affairs, distrustful of those who manage them, and - eventually - incapable of determining their own destinies." Pres. Richard Nixon, 1972

Scientists Call on next President to End Political Interference in Science; Guarantee Scientists' Freedoms. A panel of leading scientists recently issued a significant call for openness at the annual conference of the AAAS (February 15). Speaking at the announcement event Francesca Grifo, director of the Scientific Integrity Program at UCS, observed that “good federal policy depends upon reliable and robust scientific work… When science is falsified, fabricated or censored, Americans' health and safety suffer.”

Mary Treacy

COGI Quote - Feb 22

Stephen Aftergood provides these transsparency quotes from the Big Three in a recent issue of Nieman Watchdog (2-7-08). Keep these in mind during pre and post-election days.

“Excessive administration secrecy... feeds conspiracy theories and reduces the public's confidence in government,” Sen. John McCain

"I'll turn the page on a growing empire of classified information,” Sen. Barack Obama.

“We'll protect sources and methods, but we won't use sources and methods as pretexts to hide the truth.” “We need a return to transparency and a system of checks and balances, to a president who respects Congress's role of oversight and accountability,” Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Can anyone provide parallel quotes from Minnesota senatorial wannabe's?

Is the spectrum just too complex for reporters?

Is the spectrum just too complex for reporters? Article in the Nieman Watchdog and flagged in Media Reform.The title is provocative and it’s a good question. I would argue that the spectrum itself isn’t all that complicated - it’s the USE of the spectrum that baffles reporters and advocacy groups. Roger Sween spoke of the “implicitless” of information - and of the radio waves that deliver it. We feel compelled, somehow, to separate the discussion of means from the discussion of content. The techies vs. the nerds…In government, it’s IT in one silo, the public record, data, useful government information in a separate silo. Meanwhile, the radio waves are perceived as one-directional. Only now, the keepers of the word, especially the print press, are straddling what, in my mind, is the most pernicious of the several digital divides.

Self-proclaimed professional agitator Sheldon Mains started a digital deluge today by announcing he’s cancelled his Strib subscription. His rationale struck a chord with E-Democracy readers, virtually all of them recovering Strib readers. As a longtime cancelled Strib subscriber I must admit an occasional pang of regret that I can’t recancel - unless, of course, I resubscribe, in which case I would have to endure that barrage of dunning phone calls when I recancel…..

Mary Treacy

Net Neutrality Is a Civil Rights Issue

Net Neutrality Is a Civil Rights Issue. There’s tons written about network neutrality, currently being fiercely debated at the federal - especially FCC - level. This article by Mark Lloyd and Joseph Torres deals specifically and insightfully with the digital divide, stressing the inherent link (sometimes overlooked) between information and telecom access.

Afloat in the Wireless Pond - A Week Away

Not your “in the box” day: We have room for a few more participants in the March 1 conference affectionately (?) known as “Afloat in the wireless pond.” All the details at www.mncogi.org. If you’re looking for the same old, same old this is not your venue, but if you’re looking for original perspectives on our digital environment, check it out! Where else will you find a noted journalist, a geographer, a poet, a philosopher, a data manager, city planner, librarian and high school students - plus numerous demos and a room full of creative thinkers -- all focused on the realities and possibilities of information age life in Minnesota. Note: Students are invited to participate at no charge.

Reuters Group PLC Taken Over by Canada’s Thomson Corp

Thomson Gains Clearance From Wall Street Journal, February 20, 2008 by Corey Boles and Jessica Hodgson

Competition authorities in the U.S. and Europe cleared the takeover of Reuters Group PLC by Canada’s Thomson Corp., which would create a financial-data giant, on the condition that the companies divest some assets. Local implications???

Kind Words for COGI

It’s always great to receive a pat on the back – even better when the “patter” is held in high esteem -- and better yet when you can share it….We rec’d this note today from the Free Government Information, i.e. the federal government document librarians .

In the spirit of openness, we’re sharing….We Salute MnCOGI by dcornwall

...About the only quibble we have with MnCOGI is that we believe that collection, maintenance and preservation of information are responsibilities too important to be left to each government office. They must be

assisted in those tasks by third parties with fewer axes to grind, like
libraries. But this is a minor quibble given the level of involvement by
libraries in MnCOGI.

One last thing we appreciate about MnCOGI is that they have signed up
nonlibrarian organizations like the MN Newspapers Association to their efforts.
Congratulations on that. Keep up your important work!

Thank you FGI - we appreciate your plaudits and take seriously your quibble.

Nominations open

Minnesotans promote and protect the right to know in strange and wondrous way. Think about the individuals and organizations that carry the torch in times of great social, political and technological change. You still have time to submit a nomination for the 19th annual John R. Finnegan Freedom of Information Award. Nominations due Monday, March 3. The awardee(s) will be honored at the annual Freedom of Information Day celebration on Friday, March 14, Noon at the Minneapolis Public Library.

Research Tool for Tracking the Finances

Sunlight follows the federal politics money trail is a new research tool for tracking the finances that support the campaigns of federal elected officials from Minnesota MinnPost 2-20-08

Sunshine Week in DC

If you’re going to be in DC during Sunshine Week - March 16-22Associated Press President and CEO Tom Curley will address Freedom of Information and other open government issues during a Sunshine Week dinner event March 18 at The National Press Club. The dinner is being jointly presented by Sunshine Week and the Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library.

The speech will update Curley's 2004 Hays-Enterprise Lecture which many view as a defining moment in moving forward the myriad efforts ongoing now to preserve and protect access to information. "The government is pushing hard for secrecy," he said in the Hays speech. "We must push back equally hard for openness." Curley's 2008 speech will look ahead to priorities in the new administration.

Keeping an Eye on MN Legislature

How and where Minnesota’s Congressional delegation working on Internet issues. Some interesting stories linked to each legislator’s name and locale. (Save the Internet)

A quick glimpse at legislative, judicial and regulatory realities in Minnesota, published by Free Press.
Note that Free Press will be holding their Media Reform Conference in Mpls June 6-8 2008. - Just as the title suggests, a look at who owns TV, radio, print media, the web, films and more.

Art exhibit seeks to shed light on climate change

Art exhibit seeks to shed light on climate change
A new exhibit at the Bell Museum combines the ideas of art with science to draw diverse crowds. This multimedia exhibition includes paintings, drawings, sculpture and music by 20 Wisconsin artists, designed to “help people who might not be so attuned to the facts and figures” of climate change.

Maplewood City Council Rethinks Public Forums

Maplewood City Council to consider change in format of contentious public forums
Contentious sessions criticized; council may change policy
The notorious Maplewood City Council raises some provocative First Amendment issues.

Common Cause and Washington Monthly

Common Cause and Washington Monthly – Do they just like each other?
If you’re into romance among the pundits, keep an eye on this. The Washington Post, always on the lookout, sees some flickers in the relationship between Common Cause and Washington Monthly, the advocacy group and the highly regarded journal. Of particular interest as Common Cause steps up its membership and advocacy activities in Minnesota.

Even Without Technology Youth Media Thrives

Even Without Technology Youth Media Thrives
Fascinating article about youth, media and technology – good background read for the “Afloat in the wireless pond” conference on March 1.

State Highways and Bridges

Because the Minnesota Legislative Auditor's Report on State Highways and Bridges grabbed all of the headlines today you probably know that it was little critical of MnDOT's decisions and forthright communication with the public. Che

Come to hear more from Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles at the premier "COGI-tations" program sponsored by MnCOGI and Common Cause Minnesota - Tuesday, April 8, 5:00 p.m. at the TIES administrative office, Snelling and Larpenteur in St. Paul.

A Plan to Offer 50 Sites on Politics in 50 States

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/technology/18observer.html
The New York Observer prepares for the election by launching a spate of state-specific publications.

COGI Quote - Feb 18

Are you not ashamed of caring so much for the making of money and for fame and prestige, when you neither think nor care about wisdom and truth and the improvement of your soul? Socrates

New Media, New Journalism – Ethics in Online Journalism

New Media, New Journalism – Ethics in Online Journalism
A Minnesota SPJ Public Forum
Monday, February 25, 2008 7:00 p.m.
UBS Forum, Minnesota Public Radio
480 Cedar Street, St. Paul

Thoughts While Thinking

As I write, I’m listening to Garrison Keillor and a delightful rendition of “It Ain’t Necessarily So.” It reminds me of a dear friend, Ruth Myers, who used to speak of “perceptive paranoia” as the sine qua non of a good education.

Inspiration enough for me to remind you, dear surfer, to be sure you’re signed up for the March 1 “Afloat in the wireless pond” conference. This ambiguous title reflects not just society’s present state of being but conference planners’ invocation of the thought-provoking “Thoreau in Minnesota” conference organized by Dale Schwie. The Waldenesque image inspired the planning process.

Title notwithstanding, March 1 promises to be an “out of the box” day with a roster of speakers that includes a journalist, an historian, a city planner, a philosopher, a geographer, a poet, high school participants in History Day research, and David Wiggins, who defies categorization. Each speaker has a perspective on living in digital days informed by experience and by time devoted to thinking about life afloat on the wireless pond.

There will be time to connect with other “floaters” and to consider the oft-cited pernicious characteristics of technology. Above all, participants will explore the many ways in which people and organizations of good are capitalizing on the potential of information age tools to enhance access to information and thus expand the circle of informed participation.

Agenda and details abound. Reserve with just an email. Pay at the door.
($20 for lunch and materials)

By Mary Treacy

Fort Snelling: Should its history be told?

Fort Snelling: Should its history be told?
Painful, even shameful, stories that reflect the broad scope of the fort's past should not be erased, but learned from.
NINA ARCHABAL, Director of the Minnesota Historical Society, faces head on the question at the very core of information access – do we really want/need to know the truth?

Information Searches That Solve Problems

Interesting study from Pew on the information-for-problem-solving habits of the population in general and specific populations, e.g. Gen Y, in particular. The questions are interesting as the responses.

Visit the Pew site for details

Tips for Future Librarians

What to teach to future government information librarians: Escape from the Blackboard Jungle John Shuler in Free Government Information, Fri, 2008-01-18 13. Granted the title might not grab every web surfer it’s a great article – starting with the fact that gov’t librarians need to understand government and people more than they need to master the skills of organizing the stuff. The author is on the faculty at Dominican University, an academic institution familiar to lots of Minnesota library types.

Army Blocks Public Access to Digital Library

Army Blocks Public Access to Digital Library
Public access to the Reimer Digital Library, which is the largest online collection of U.S. Army doctrinal publications, has been blocked by the Army, which last week moved the collection behind a password-protected firewall. This was a surprise move since none of the materials in the library are or ever have been classified…The Federation of American Scientists filed a Freedom of Information Act request asking the Army to provide a copy of the entire unclassified Library so that it could be posted on the FAS web site.

Congressional committee probes killing of Great Lakes cancer report

Congressional committee probes killing of Great Lakes cancer report
A recent Minnesota Monitor article by Robin Marty describes House Committee on Science and Technology investigations of allegations of government misinformation re. contaminants in the Great Lakes.

Secret criminal cases may at last see light of day

The U.S. attorney's office may consider automatic review of sealed criminal cases following an inquiry by the Star Tribune.
http://www.startribune.com/local/15653437.html

Sunshine Week 2008 hits the campaign trail

from SunshineWeek.org
Candidates from president to mayor to be quizzed on access issues.
Washington - The Sunshine Week alliance has begun a yearlong Sunshine Campaign project to bring the discussion of open government issues to election campaigns from president to local city council. While the initiative expands the scope of Sunshine Week to cover the entire election season, specific events and coverage are still planned for Sunshine Week, March 16-22, 20

States failing FOI responsiveness

http://nfoic.org/resources/bga/
States failing FOI responsiveness
Better Government Association and National Freedom of Information Coalition give 38 out of 50 states "F" grade in overall responses to FOI requests.
Analysis by the Better Government Association
Overview by Charles N. Davis

COGI Quote - Feb 17

Public records are the people's records. The officials in whose custody they happen to be are mere trustees for the people."

Judge Rufus Smith, Superior Court of Concinnati, Ohio, 1901.

The Carpetbagger's Report

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/14575.html
We don’t usually pick up on federal affronts – lots of national organizations do a great job of keeping an eye on Washington – but this list was so comprehensive and current that we couldn’t pass it up, had to pass it on.

Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/books/14dumb.html?ei=5087&em=&en=4165809c79fa2544&ex=1203138000&pagewanted=print
New York Times 2-14-08 A good piece to read and think about before – or after – the March 1 “Afloat in the wireless pond” conference. The title suggests a theme “Dumb and Dumber”…..

Digitizing & Preservation

http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2008/08-029.html
If the feds recognize the importance of preservation, can/will the state be far behind – or will we digitize everything that matters and assume it will be there when it’s needed? Who’s thinking about that?

Best Practices For Immigrant Outreach

http://www.urbanlibraries.org/stranger021108.html
ULC Captures Best Practices For Immigrant Outreach in New Publication“Welcome Stranger” Though this new publication may not seem relevant at first blush, it is absolutely on target -- public libraries should provide formal and informal (read government) information about immigrant communities, serve as conduits to local resources and services, and "jump-start" civic engagement. Includes a free download.

ALA on FISA

http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=367

One professional association's take on recent Congressional action pertaining to FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act).

AP and the nation's newspapers

http://www.forbes.com/2008/02/13/media-newspapers-ap-biz-media-cx_lh_0214ap_print.html

The article presents well the tension between AP and the nation's newspapers. Interesting questions about how citizens will continue to get close-up information about their state and local goverment. This reference came from Media Reform - and following the link was well worth the (minimal) effort!

MPR on 2008 Leglislature

Minnesota Public Radio has a literal handful of points of access to the state legislative process. The best thing to do is to check them out and see which best fit your learning style, taste in technology,and tolerance level.

2008 Legislature
Minnesota Legislature collection: The latest news
Votetracker: Follow key legislation
Fantasy Legislature: Draft a team of legislators
Polinaut: Blog exploring politics
Policast: Podcast of political coverage

Walz calls for better access to soldiers' medical records

Minnesota Rep. Tim Walz has just returned from his first trip to Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Germany. Walz said the trip gave him a renewed sense of urgency to improve access to soldiers' medical records. Learn more on MPR.

McCollum Calls for Renewed Investigation of Data Tape Privacy Risks

Notes from the office of Congressman McCollum relating to Imation tape issue:

McCollum Calls for Renewed Investigation of Data Tape Privacy Risks
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 Imation recovers bank account numbers from used data devices that GAO deemed “a low security risk”

Ask-a-Librarian at Government Information Online

Thanks to Karen Thompson and the SLA mailing list for sending the following our way:

Does the prospect of searching for government information give you the heebie-jeebies? Well, I have a pleasant surprise for you. It is a free online information service called Government Information Online (GIO): Ask a Librarian at http://govtinfo.org This live chat and e-mail service began in 2004, so it may already be in your favorites. If it is not, you might take it out for a spin or a five-minute exploration.

"...you can ask government information librarians who are experts at finding information from government agencies of all levels (local, state, regional, national international) on almost any subject..."

"GIO is ... supported by nearly twenty public, state and academic libraries throughout the United States. All participants are designated Federal depository libraries in the U.S. Government Printing Office's Federal Depository Library Program. Many are also official depository libraries for their other types of governments and public agencies."

Future Tense

Future Tense is the NPR radio show hosted by Minnesota’s own Jon Gordon – the February e-letter is always current and full of interesting tidbits. This particular issue seems especially relevant to MnCOGI readers.

Here are some of the topics:


Piecing together the shredded documents of the East German secret police
YouBama is a hub for Internet videos on Obama
The argument against government-funded journalism
Bailing out journalism
Complaints of the digitally privileged

Who Owns the News

Have you wondered who runs the Star Tribune? It is Thompson (Tom) Dean, CEO of Avista Capital Partners. You can view an interview of him in which he discusses the Star Tribune acquisition.

Great Freedom of Info Links

Preparing for Sunshine week we have run across a couple of great links. We don’t have time to elaborate too much on them – but we wanted to share them with you before they got away.

If you have a favorite or a minute to comment – please feel free to do so.

A of (and I quote) "insanely useful websites"
http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/resources
A diverse list I just want to mention 2 sites: Congresspedia.com (http://www.congresspedia.org) and Contractor Misconduct (http://www.contractormisconduct.org) (wonder who maintains that?!)


Follow the money:
http://www.followthemoney.org/index.phtml
A description from their site:
Money in state politics plays a pivotal role in shaping public policy in individual states and across the nation. The nonpartisan National Institute on Money in State Politics tracks contributions in all 50 states and makes this data easily searchable online.

National Conference for Media Reform: Minneapolis, June 6-8, 2008

Join fellow activists, media makers, educators, journalists, policymakers and concerned citizens in calling for real and lasting changes to our nation's media system.

2008 provides us with a great opportunity to put the issue of media reform in the national spotlight. Join us in Minneapolis and help us build this critical movement.

Registration is now open. (Learn more)