Walker, Jindal in letter to Obama call IRS scandal ‘Big Brother come to life’

By   /  May 14, 2013  /  Accountability, Censorship, Ethics, Featured, Federal Government, News, Politics, Scott Walker, Wisconsin  /  14 Comments

IRS

By M.D. Kittle | Wisconsin Reporter
MADISON – As he prepared for his meeting Tuesday morning with the peaceful Dalai Lama in Madison, Gov. Scott Walker packed a rhetorical punch in a letter he and fellow Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana penned demanding President Obama call for a special prosecutor to investigate the Internal Revenue [...]

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Government transparency advocates in IA could lose footing

By   /  April 10, 2013  /  Accountability, Censorship, Ethics, Featured, Iowa, Issues, News, Open Records, Power Abuse, State Government  /  2 Comments

The Iowa Senate, led by Democrats, support providing $450,000 in funding to the Iowa Freedom of Information Board.

A highly- touted and much-anticipated Iowa agency aimed at improving government transparency is in jeopardy just three months before it’s set to open its doors because of concerns over funding.

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Internet creates opportunities, hurdles to transparent government

By   /  March 8, 2013  /  Accountability, Censorship, Featured, Free Speech, News, Open Records, Public records, public sector, State Government, Transparency, Wisconsin  /  1 Comment

Watchdog.org celebrates Sunshine Week with a series detailing how our reporters obtained government information.

By M.D. Kittle | Wisconsin Reporter
MADISON – Despite the dark and sinister corners where thieves and sex offenders lurk, the Internet has brought the light of the Information Age to the far corners of the world.
In so doing, the online experience has opened the door to greater transparency in many governments. So, U.S. citizens can [...]

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WI bill would give government power to charge you for the information it must hide

By   /  February 26, 2013  /  Censorship, Featured, Local Government, News, Open Records, Power Abuse, State Government, State House, State Politics, Transparency, Wisconsin  /  No Comments

An Assembly bill would allow fees for the cost of government entities redacting public information.

Some journalists I know, yours truly included, have a less-than-affectionate name for the state Department of Administration.

Dead on Arrival.

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Call of duty? MO lawmaker wants to tax video violence

By   /  January 17, 2013  /  Censorship, Featured, Missouri, News, State Government, State House  /  3 Comments

GRAND THEFT AUTO: A game series that is frequently a target following mass shootings. The newest version comes out later this year.

By Johnny Kampis | Missouri Watchdog
ST. LOUIS – A Missouri lawmaker wants to levy a tax on violent video games, with the extra money going toward studying mental health issues.
Rep. Diane Franklin, R-Camdenton, has introduced a state House bill that would impose a 1 percent additional sales tax on video games rated by the Entertainment Software [...]

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