Top Ten Proposals on Obama's Website

You might want to hurry because the open government is about to close. Participation in the "Brainstorming" phase 1 of President Obama's online Open Government Initiative only lasts from May 21st to May 28th. To find it, go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/open You'll see listed there three phases, with the "Discuss" and "Draft" phases not yet active. But you can click on the "Brainstorming" phase until it ends, which will take you to http://opengov.ideascale.com And if you're too late, you can join in the "Discuss" phase of governance.

I was a latecomer too and didn't post my own proposal until May 26th. Yet that proposal (a somewhat lengthy set of actions aimed at restraining presidential power and titled "End Imperial Presidency") is, as of very early on the 28th, ranked #1 in the category of "Legal & Policy Challenges" with 198 more positive than negative votes. In second place, with 153 net positive votes, is legalizing marijuana.

This blog post will get more comments on it than the number of people participating in the Open Government, and yet I hope that phases 2 and 3 bear some semblance of a direct relationship to what was brainstormed in phase 1. I actually like several of the ideas other than my own.

There are four other categories for proposals, plus the category of "uncategorized." And most of the categories have subcategories. The award for best refusal to lock your brainstorming in a closet has to go to the participants in the subcategory of "Public-Private Partnerships." Virtually no one showed any interest in this topic, and the winning entry, with 29 (net positive) votes is "Get Rid of Private Prisons." So much for public-private partnerships.

Of course, the dismal turnout for Open Government participation has been registered by those who have turned out. In the subcategory of "Communications Strategies," the winning entry with 47 votes is "Educating the Public about Using This Technology," a proposal that essentially asks for an explanation of the website on which it is proposed.

The award for the teabaggingest nonsensical proposal (although the proposal is actually better than its headline), goes to an entry pulling in 109 votes to top the "Uncategorized" category: "Communicating science transparently and without government interference." Bear in mind that this is a proposal for the government to act on without interfering in it.

Far and away the most votes went to the winning entry in the "Making Government Operations More Open" subcategory. A full 587 votes (as of early on the 28th) went to "Support a 72-Hour Mandatory Public Review Period on Major Spending Bills," a proposal I fully support.

But then there was the give-us-cartoons campaign. The winning entry in the "Making Data More Accessible" subcategory with 129 votes is "Use Visual recording and mini animations to convey complex ideas."

A number of winning entries simply repeated the idea of the open government initiative or modified it to fit the particular subcategory, essentially proposing approval for the act of making a proposal. In the subcategory of "Collaboration Between Federal Agencies," the winning proposal with a grand total of 35 votes is "Encourage, support, and fund interagency initiatives, programs, and projects." Go team! Another winning proposal: "Fully fund participation and collaboration activities." Also: "Encourage State and Local Governments to Become More Open and Inclusive." And: "Hold Agencies Accountable for Implementing the Open Government Directive."

Most of the brainstormed proposals involve rather arcane changes to the bureaucracy of Washington, D.C. But the Open Government Initiative's main page presents this overall objective right at the top:

"How can we strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness?"

The category that tests the strength of our democracy at present is the one in which my proposal to end the imperial presidency is in the lead. If that proposal gets unceremoniously deleted prior to phase 2, I'm not going to take that as evidence that we need better FOIA websites or more strategically planned inter-departmental meetings. I'm going to take it as evidence that none of that stuff will fix the problem.

The strongest demands on candidate Obama's website (for a no vote on telecom immunity) and on President-Elect Obama's website (for a special prosecutor for Bush and Cheney) were both ignored. If President Obama ignores the top demand this time, my guess is that the next Open Government experiment will have to pay people to participate.

I'm dismayed at the popularity of the marijuana question, which has held one of the top spots since this project began.

I hope everyone will participate there, even if pot is your favorite hot topic.

:toast:

...are just better organized than everyone else.

because god forbid a bunch of average normal people think marijuana laws are stupid and out dated...

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The drug war primed us and got us ready for the vast intrusion of the government into our personal lives, indeed into our very bodily fluids.

It is a war on Americans, not a war on drugs. Given that drugs cannot be entirely kept out of even maximum security prisons then a drug free America will not be a free America.

marijuana is the largest cash crop in our most populous state. A state that is on the verge of running out of funds, while the vast majority of residents know they are prevented by Federal law from taxing that crop. Agriculture is huge in CA so that crop has much competition for the top slot. In Wine Country, wine is a footnote. Pot is Bank.
Thousands languish in prions, draining more money from the coffers, jailed for an herb while meth makers run free, while rapists are on our payroll.
Millions of Americans are prevented from acessing the medicine that would allow them to function without harsh chemical drugs.
So 'the marijuana question' is about money, health and freedom. All three are areas of long standing and constant interest to the American public.

Lack of knowledge. OK, you didn't need to insult me.

Please re-read my post, I'm not hating on you, everyone has their favorite topic.

They are many pressing issues....

for intelligent progressive/liberal individuals that are the heart of POTUS Obama's base that elected him to Office.

So we want to legalize pot (and gay marriage too) -- so we are wingnuts.

I am a capitalist, educated, experienced, but I see benefit for corporations not the regional, local, nor small business that are the heart and soul of well-being in our communities; main street in our homes.

A big divide is over military empire. If one pays attention over time, one realizes that there are sectors that mislead or fail to inform the citizenry without bias -- the biss is pro wealthy and entrenched bureaucray -- I have nothing against Empire but based on virtue not random violence. We have had a privilidged positive -- a true and positive American exceptionalism better termed leadership in technology and freedom -- but this is gone,; we are soiled as a nation by dishonesty.

But things link Universal Health care and investment in infrastruction and a re-look at international trade thaty fosters fair exchange rather than a small segment exploiting another nation and their fellow citizens.

You did, didn't you! :evilgrin:

:evilgrin:

Though, seriously, as silly as mine was, there are others that are anything but, yet will be ignored by those who are afraid of real progress and commitment to equality, democracy, and common sense.

I like this too. Pres. Obama is the right choice of all.

Is my Baby Autistic

Talk to me about getting rid of the Senate; this is an idea I haven't heard before.

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in one of my most recent posts on this site

and a longer one in my book:
http://davidswanson.org/book

section.

:kick:

Thanks for making me aware of this. I entered my own post, which I hope people may vote up, you can see it at http://opengov.ideascale.com/akira/dtd/3876-4049