Tester aims for Senate transparency online
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Whether it's a visit to the gym, a meeting with the founder of the Montana Meth Project, or an interview with Wolf Blitzer, staff for freshman Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, post his entire schedule online each workday -- a Senate first.
A spokesman says Tester pledged to do this early in his 2006 campaign out of a "desire for transparency." The Senator's schedule reflects meetings with visiting Montanans, committee colleagues, as well as the occasional lobbyist. The information "gives people an opportunity to see with whom [Tester] is meeting, and if they represent the opposite point of view, they can also request a meeting," said the spokesman.
The Sunlight Foundation -- a group working for greater government transparency -- has been pushing for more online disclosures of this kind. Last fall, the group offered members of the public up to $1000 cash if they could persuade a member of Congress or a candidate to post their schedule on the web. No sitting member said yes, but Sunlight paid out $22,750 after 93 candidates agreed. Only one actually got elected: Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, whose schedule is now posted daily online.
Tester's efforts met some early hiccups: in the first few days before his Web site was fully operational his disclosures amounted to "a piece of paper taped to [his office] door" said his spokesman. The Senator's schedule is now available at the end of each business day at his Senate Web site.
There's an idea. Public officials work for us, why not make their schedules transparent?
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Cool idea
great! more of this is needed...(wish I'd thought of it...)
B-b-but, this is completely irresponsible! Some terrorist could read the list, see that Tester is meeting with, say, the Ladies' Auxiliary, put on a dress, infiltrate the group, and then show up to assassinate him! Even worse: the terrorist-in-a-dress could read some of Tester's desk documents while his back is turned, finding out about donations!