Things you can do right now on the bailout bill

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From: Sunlight Foundation

Tell Congress to Read the Bailout Bill First!

Today, the Sunlight Foundation is calling on Congress to exercise restraint and increase legislative transparency by posting the next version of the financial bailout legislation online for at least 72 hours before bringing the bill to a vote.

We believe all legislation should posted online for at 72 hours before a vote to give lawmakers and citizens sufficient time to review and debate it, and this bill is no exception.

That's why we just created a petition -- http://readthebillfirst.org -- that urges Congress to wait at least until 72 hours after the publication of the next version of this bill, before moving to a vote.

The failure of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008(H.R.3997) on Monday, September 29, 2008, is a case in point. The bill was posted online late Sunday afternoon, and voted on less than 24 hours later.

This isn't a bill to rename a few courthouses; this bill is Congress's biggest intervention in the economy in decades. This important legislation deserved more time for public scrutiny.

Please join us in our call for legislative transparency by signing the petition at http://readthebillfirst.org

You can review and comment on the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act on PublicMarkup.org -- http://tinyurl.com/4q3zvn -- too.

Our Party Time site -- http://PoliticalPartyTime.org -- is also doing its part to shine a light on how the financial sector is wining and dining the very lawmakers in Congress who are making the decisions about the most massive proposed bailout of industry in history. Based on the anonymously submitted invitations we've received, we now count 357 parties this year planned for or featuring members of the two crucial committees that are the first stops for considering the administration's $700 billion bailout request for the financial sector. See the full list of parties here: http://tinyurl.com/3htbev.

And be sure to check out our blog post here -- http://tinyurl.com/3lq3d7 -- about the finance industry's investment over the past 18 years attempting to influence Congress. The post includes a very cool interactive graph showing their spending, and a YouTube tutorial video explaining the graph.

Thanks for all that you do,

Gabriela Schneider & the Sunlight team


>All Things Reform Mobile: allthingsreform.mofuse.mobi >Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 (not toll-free) >US House/Senate Mobile: bit.ly/members >Contact your reps tips: bit.ly/dear >Shortened All Things Reform URL: bit.ly/dw

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Comment on the financial services bailout bill at PublicMarkup.org

US House Financial Services Committee.
Image via WikipediaGovernment reform orgs. deliver news on major events within their areas of expertise.
From: Sunlight Foundation

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

On Sunday, September 28, congressional leadership issued the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, posted online (in PDF) by Speaker Pelosi and by the House Financial Services Committee. This bill is the latest version of Congress' gigantic taxpayer bailout of the financial sector, with a potential cost of $700 billion or more than $2000 per American citizen. We believe, as Justice Brandeis said, that "Sunlight is the best of disinfectants," and that all legislation ought to be open to public comment and consideration in real-time, not just after the fact. So, as a public service, we're posting the 110-page text for public comment.


>All Things Reform Mobile: allthingsreform.mofuse.mobi >Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 (not toll-free) >US House/Senate Mobile: bit.ly/members >Contact your reps tips: bit.ly/dear >Shortened All Things Reform URL: bit.ly/dw

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Publicmarkup.org makes the bailout legislation transparent for the public

Image via WikipediaGovernment reform orgs. deliver news on major events within their areas of expertise.
From: Ellen Miller of Sunlight Foundation via [openhouseproject] group

The Bailout Legislation

As news spreads that a consensus Wall Street bailout plan is being
finalized, and leaders negotiate between proposals submitted from the
Treasury Department, Senator Dodd, Representative Markey, and others,
two separate conversations are taking place. One is public, as the
nation struggles to evaluate the urgency of the economic situation,
and to understand the best course of action. The other, however, is
not public, as the compromises and deal making — the real stuff of
urgent policy-making — are held in the dark.

The Sunlight Foundation is calling on Congress to publish the proposed
bailout legislation as soon as possible, to give constituents and
lawmakers themselves as much time as possible to examine the specifics
of the proposal before it’s voted on. We will post the draft
legislation to PublicMarkup.org as soon as possible, to give citizens
a chance to weigh in on the proposal’s specifics.
http://blog.sunlightfoundation.com/2008/09/25/show-us-the-legislation/

Congress faces urgent pressure from the Administration and from
constituents to act. Regardless of the course of action Congress
ultimately chooses, this is a decision that must be made in full
public view. If citizens don’t have a chance to evaluate the
legislation, how can Congress possibly represent their constituents’
needs?

The need for sunlight is especially required for urgent or emergency
legislation. All too often, Congress praises transparency as a
democratic value, but violates it in practice. Any lack of
transparency in consideration of this legislation would be especially
ironic since lawmakers have blamed the current crisis on financial
malfeasance that was hidden from public view.

We have called the relevant congressional committees and have asked
for copies of the new consensus legislation. As soon we get it, we’ll
be posting the text of the legislation online at PublicMarkup.org.

Now more than ever, Congress must represent the needs of all
Americans, and to give everyone - citizens and lawmakers alike — a
chance to participate actively in the legislative process.

Before the bailout proposal is considered by lawmakers, it must
undergo an even more important test: evaluation and assessment by the
public.


>All Things Reform Mobile: allthingsreform.mofuse.mobi >Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 (not toll-free) >US House/Senate Mobile: bit.ly/members >Contact your reps tips: bit.ly/dear >Shortened All Things Reform URL: bit.ly/dw

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Party Time, a new database of federal candidate fundraisers

Government reform orgs. deliver news on major events within their areas of expertise.
From: Party Time

The Sunlight Foundation has introduced Party Time, an online database of campaign fundraising parties, which occur in conventions, near the capitol or anywhere else, anytime of the year. The hundreds of parties for the candidates attending the upcoming Democratic and Republican conventions are already included.

You can search by several categories. A copy of the actual invitation is given for each party in the database. And, if you know of a party, please contribute it to Party Time; the database goes back many years.

. >All Things Reform Mobile: allthingsreform.mofuse.mobi >Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 (not toll-free) >US House/Senate Mobile: bit.ly/members >Contact your reps tips: bit.ly/dear .

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"The sun", a poem dedicated to the Sunlight Foundation

I have sent a 'sunlight' poem to the Sunlight Foundation. In only a few short years, they have been instrumental in many fine government reform projects on the internet. So, I dedicate "The sun" to the hard-working folks at the Sunlight Foundation:


The sun


The shine
that lights the whole

The sear
that warms the soul

The star
that sight's the steep

The sun
that charms the deep


by David Weller
.
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Call your US Rep. and two US Senators and ask them to disclose their earmark requests

Sunlight Foundation is asking us to volunteer for an earmark investigation project. Work in collaboration with Citizens Against Government Waste and Taxpayers for Common Sense, simply by calling your own US Representative and two US Senators and asking them if they would post on their official websites all of their earmark requests.

Now, before you begin, there are already 46 congress members who already do so, and 46 more who have decided not to request earmarks. Please check these lists out, and follow the continuously-updated chart at Sunlight Foundation for progress on this timely project. This is the time of year when our representatives disclose to their appropriation committee their earmark requests.

Isn't it time we, the people, got basic information, too, on these pet project requests? Last year, for instance, our representatives spent over $17 billion of our tax money on these mostly localized projects. To volunteer, please go to Sunlight Foundation's "Earmark Disclosures 2009" page and see if your reps. have already answered. If they haven't, call their office and ask if they will disclose to the public their requests for earmarks on their official websites, and if not, why. Then, please fill out the short form at the top of the earmarks page, including any notes about the call. Thank you

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Don't miss Lawrence Lessig lecture on corruption Thurs. March 20th 1:30pm to 3:00pm ET by web cast

Sunlight Foundation announces on its website a lecture to be held on Thursday, March 20th from 1:30pm to 3:00pm ET by Stanford University professor Lawrence Lessig. He will be unveiling a new website called "Change-Congress.org" and will discuss the state of democracy in the United States and how corruption plays an influence on it.

The event will also be Web cast: http://www.visualwebcaster.com/thepressclub-lessig-032008 for the general public. Full details for the event are here.

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President Bush accepting undisclosed big money contributions for his presidential library while in office

The Sunlight Foundation blog has a post today on a much neglected ethical breach participated by the Bush administration-- he is, right now, accepting undisclosed very large financial contributons from people, corporations and other countries for his developing presidential library! This is an open door to corruption right now as we speak, because at this same time he is holding the nation's highest public office. There is at least one bill addressing this problem in Congress-- the Presidential Library Donation Reform Act of 2007 (H.R. 1254), which requires the disclosure of contributors to the libraries.

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Tell Senator Ensign to drop his objection to bill S223

According to OpentheGovernment.org:

S.223, "The Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act," has bipartisan
support from 40 co-sponsors, but John Ensign (R-NV) continues to block passage
with a hold. Watch an informational video from the Sunlight Foundation
about efforts to require Senators to file campaign finance contribution reports
electronically, then call Sen. Ensign's office to tell him to drop his objection
to the bill: (202) 224-6244.

If you agree, please call Sen. Enign's office and leave your message.

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Check who your Congressmen meet with

Sunlight Foundation provides assistance to government database projects. One of these, the Punch Clock Campaign, asks Congressmembers to post on the internet many of their meetings. To date, there are just eight representatives involved; you may find one of your's enlisted. Although several types of meetings are not qualified for this, you will find some information about what your representative does on a day-to-day basis and with whom.

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Call U.S. Senators Ensign and McConnell to remove bill amendment

The Sunshine Foundation is asking the netroots reform community to call U.S. Senators Ensign and McConnell and have them remove an unrelated amendment to the Senate electronic filing bill. Here's their story:

Ensign Refuses to Yield, Admits Working With McConnell
Sen. John Ensign continues to transparently block the electronic filing bill by refusing to back down from a ridiculous amendment requiring outside groups filing ethics complaints to reveal their funding sources. In stating his refusal to yield Ensign also admitted that he is working with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the author of this absurd amendment, to block passage of the electronic filing bill. The Hill reports, "Ensign added that he consulted with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) before deciding on his strategy, deeming the push for the amendment 'something we did together … we discussed it. I felt it was a good idea for me to do it.'" (Emphasis added.) McConnell has stated previously, including in the last few days, that he supports the electronic filing bill. It appears that he is being far less than honest.
Ensign and McConnell should do the senatorial thing and step out of the way as Sen. Bob Bennett did when he tried to offer a poison pill amendment. Rules Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein has offered Ensign a fair hearing in her committee on his amendment in exchange for dropping his objection to electronic filing. It's time for Ensign and McConnell to stop blocking transparency legislation.
In regards to the Ensign/McConnell amendment itself there are serious legal questions that appear to make it and illegal attempt to infringe on certain groups' privacy. Adam Bonin summarized the legal issues yesterday in a post at Daily Kos:
What can we say about this proposal? Of course it's not germane to this innocuous, bipartisan legislation, but what's more is that it's pretty blatantly unconstitutional. In a series of cases from the civil rights era including NAACP v Alabama and Bates v. City of Little Rock, the Supreme Court has made clear that such compelled disclosure – or "outing" – of supporters of a political organization is anathema to democracy, as it subjects members to potential harassment or retaliation and infringes on their constitutional rights of association, and must be supported by a compelling state interest.
Tell Ensign and McConnell to stop blocking transparency.
Sen. John Ensign: (202) 224-6244
Sen. Mitch McConnell: (202) 224-2541
Paul Blumenthal's blog Written by Paul Blumenthal on September 28, 2007 - 11:17am.

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Government Reform-Related Databases

We've added a new list on the left panel of this page, called "Government Reform-Related Databases". It is a links list of user-friendly search engines for money in politics data.

Developing internet technology has enabled public interest groups such as the Sunshine Foundation to make government data more accessible to the general public. As more come online, I will add them here.

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Now, citizen oversight of congressional spending

The Sunlight Foundation and Taxpayers for Common Sense have teamed up to offer EarmarkWatch.org: Bringing Citizen Oversight to Congressional Spending.

Although you need to register, it is a free service. Bills that are currently being legislated are broken down; you can analyze your own U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators usage of earmarks.

Earmarks, or porkbarrel spending, are individual appropriations inserted into a bill after it has been legislated; they often are for local or regional pet projects. Earmarks are a reflection of fiscal discipline; you may now check on your own elected officials promises on how he is controlling spending.

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Celebrate OneWebDay!

OneWebDay is on September 22nd. We can observe the significance of the Web and what it means to individuals, organizations and communities.

The Sunlight Foundation is a major contributor to internet grassroots activists such as All Things Reform-- they have just in the last year made great strides to technologically advance on the internet ways to enjoy more openness and transparency in government. Here is a fun video they made in that light:

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