OpenGov - Open Government Brainstorm Legal & Policy Challenges

Legalize Marijuana.

Illegal Immigrants should be given legal status with a potential for a road to citizenship, but part of the participation in becoming a United States citizen should incorporate a service learning component to the path for becoming a United States citizen (rather than fines). Service Learning at the municipal, state level, and possibly federal level could help potential citizens learn about how government works and eventually... more »

• Thoroughly understanding the real world, end-to-end mechanics and costs of satisfying a FOIA request.
• Thoroughly understanding the tax that vigorous FOIA compliance would put on program employees and other non-disclosure personnel
• Reshaping FOIA operations in most agencies in light of that understanding
• Increasing staffing (and not just disclosure specialists) or changing the sunshine laws to address what cannot... more »

Lets create laws that require health care providers (doctors, clinics etc) to publish the dollars/rate they will charge on their products and services -- just like the rest of the free capital markets work. Every consumer can then compare the quality and price and pay according to what they can afford.

There is no transparency in the pricing of health care services, today. Everything is hidden behind insurance bills... more »

Right now the discretion to place legally public government information online lies with agencies and not the law. Switch this premise around by adding a legal category that says, "public but online dissemination not required. If it is not limited by the law, then put it online for all by default. Period. This would not change access to legally protected/national security information.

Piecemeal legislation to require... more »

Lets promote legal immigration. How?

1. Speed up the process to get green card status, for legal skilled immigrants, so their spouses can work, invest in homes and pay even more taxes to the government!

2. Encourage legal immigration. Don't encourage people to opt for illegal immigration by fixing problems with illegal immigration first (such as granting amnesty!) when so many problems remain in the legal process... more »

Our tax system is screwed up. We're taxed for owning a house; we're taxed for owning land; we're taxed for having a job; we're taxed for pretty much existing. While it's true that taxes are necessary for a government to function, they don't have to be this numerous and/or complicated. There are thousands of pages of tax codes in Washington that are way too complicated for the average American to understand. Corrupt businesses... more »

An Information Society's software infrastructure can be no better than the quality of its connectivity but the economy is awash with IT standards that lack specification of the conformity requirements essential to achieve interoperability. A holistic solution is desperately needed, one that does not focus on a single vendor, but rather on standards development organizations ("SDO's").

We have a global legal framework... more »

A major impediment to transparent government is the widespread use of insecure electronic voting machines. These machines have been shown to be easily hackable, thus opening the door wide to voter fraud. Ultimately, an election might be rigged entirely, with no way to do a "recount" to correctly determine the will of the electorate.

A transparent government would mandate that all electronic voting machine hardware... more »

I have been reading about the irrational fears of people in regard to where to put the convicted detainees. The persons found to be guilty according to the facts could be placed on an Island named Adak Alaska or similar remote location. There is a Navy base there that I deployed to while serving. Its very remote, only two ways to get there, by air or boat. Its located in the Aluetian Island chain. There would be no public... more »

The IT section of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is relatively small. I think we need to expand Part 39 to allow for different acquisition rules which enable us to procure IT technology faster and quicker. Software and Hardware acquisition is much different from procurement of major weapons systems and from operational contracting. Expanding this section to change IT contracting from the rest of contracting... more »

Ludvig Von Mises, the premier Austrian economist, had a totally different view of economics than the current view taught and adhered to within policy making. The incorporation of this views into monetary and fiscal policies would greatly enhance transparency and further strengthen this country. All school children should be taught his view of economics.

Dear President Obama and Members of Congress,

Our drug laws aren't working. Every year, millions of Americans are arrested on drug offenses, yet drugs are more available than ever before. High school students find it easier to get marijuana than alcohol or prescription drugs. And Mexican drug cartels have become rich and powerful, representing a growing threat to our national security.
With our economy... more »

1. Traffic Stops- I ofter notice white motorist speed past me and an oncoming State Trooper or Sheriff does nothing, but if I go 3 MPH over the limit the red/blue lights come on.
2. Unfair Charges- I work in a Max. Security Prison and white inmates tell me that judges and DA's let them off the hook 6 or 7 times. While Black inmates get hard time the 1st time they are involved with the Criminal Justice System.
3.... more »

Time has come to enact S.564 : A bill to establish commissions to review the facts and circumstances surrounding injustices suffered by European Americans, European Latin Americans, and Jewish refugees during World War II.

 

This bill is long overdue...more than years have elapsed since the internment of German American.

 

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