en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/278348 Comments by Bonita_DeAmicis http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13832049 The lowest bid is not always the one we should accept. Sometimes it reflects poor hiring practices on the part of the bidder, sometimes it is the bid of an agency who will cut important corners to save money. Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:36:00 +0000 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13832049 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13680071 So, the best place to get information on how the page works, or to submit ideas for how to make it better is through contacting the webmaster, who I believe you can find using the "Let us know" link at the top of this page. Meanwhile, I asked this same question and was given instructions in an email. I will go look for that email and post the instructions I received here. Tue, 6 Jan 2009 23:49:49 +0000 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13680071 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13679879 I like this idea. Tue, 6 Jan 2009 23:34:59 +0000 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13679879 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13679856 PE Obama is not yet the one "giving" these amounts. We still have a different president and cabinet making these decisions until January 20th. The Senate voted down the money, but our current President decided to override that decision. Tue, 6 Jan 2009 23:33:33 +0000 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13679856 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13677488 Post 3- Finally, one of my hopes is that Obama will push for online budgets for government entities. I think following money-trails could be very helpful for public scrutiny. What I do know is for it to be accessible and transparent, some common language and ease-of-use techniques would have to be developed. I envision budgets starting at the federal level organized by outline and hyperlink. For instance the federal government might start with key budget areas as defined by the constitution: defense, social welfare, etc, These headings would have a total amount and be hyperlinked to subcategories like state funding, agency funding, project funding, etc. These, too, would have totals and be hyperlinked to subcategories, and so on. Such an organization would allow voters to really see where are tax dollars are working. If states and local governments created similar structures, then it would be quite transparent and accessible. Tue, 6 Jan 2009 20:41:34 +0000 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13677488 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13677390 Post 2- Something like what we are seeing here on the transition team's site would be very useful at the local government level. If voters could read documents that are being submitted to city and county offices, see dates when meetings will be held, hold online conversations to discuss local issues. These could be useful tools for informing and mobilizing local voter-ship and would serve to make local government more transparent and accessible. Tue, 6 Jan 2009 20:35:02 +0000 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13677390 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13677335 Post 1- Local voting can be difficult. I have experienced what you describe when trying to figure out who the judges are that I am supposed to vote for. Many of my friends have been shocked to discover that the little ditties in the voter's pamphlets have to be paid for by the candidate, which is why judges and such seldom post any information. As Kimi points out, the League of Women Voters could be a great place to volunteer to help get this type of information more readily available. Maybe that is a place to start. Tue, 6 Jan 2009 20:31:17 +0000 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13677335 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13677274 Oops, guess my response was too long to get posted and got eaten. Let me retry, Alberto, with more specific points. Yes, I am in agreement with you that we need to be more vigilant in our scrutiny of public decision making. And yes, I think the local level of government is often disregarded even though it plays a very important role. I will try to post 3 posts to explain some things I have been thinking about in regard to helping citizens do a better job of scrutinizing government, both locally and more broadly. Tue, 6 Jan 2009 20:27:41 +0000 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13677274 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13677179 Yes, I have always appreciated the League's information, when it is available. Last year I noticed pamphlets with "Supported by League of Women Voters," notices. This concerned me because if your organization takes positions I think it compromises your ability to be a resource that provides unbiased information. Are there any other groups like the League of Women Voters doing the same work? Tue, 6 Jan 2009 20:22:49 +0000 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13677179 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13653644 I am with you, Alberto. Too much power corrupts absolutely. Part of the beauty of our system is/was precisely the checks and balances approach. In what areas could that be shored back up? How would we go about doing so? Tue, 6 Jan 2009 02:08:12 +0000 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13653644 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13636108 That is a conversation thread I would love to pursue with folks. What can we do, in 2009, to assure a more productive and unbiased media? I am so tired of media that is clearly out to arouse, defame, inflame, and misinform. How do we, as a people, change this pattern? Is there something we can do other than just turn it off? Mon, 5 Jan 2009 01:36:21 +0000 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_challenges_new_opportunities/#IDComment13636108 http://change.gov/open_government/entry/composites_for_renewable_energy2/#IDComment13042312 On the same note as William's post, I am wondering about Steven Chu. Certainly his credentials are up to par, but when I read his recent involvement with a decision to take BP money to support research at UC Berkeley (on the outside not a bad idea). And then I learn that the agreement gives BP huge powers of oversight on research similar to the oversight that had been given to pharmaceuticals that have donated to universities and later over-controlled the research agendas... I become concerned about Chu's ability to maintain a transparent and non-corrupt office as energy secretary. Thu, 25 Dec 2008 01:35:37 +0000 http://change.gov/open_government/entry/composites_for_renewable_energy2/#IDComment13042312 http://change.gov/page/content/GeneralDiscussion/#IDComment12887714 One of the issues I have heard about concerning marijuana is that we have no quick way to judge impairment, like alcohol levels tested by breathilizer and such. If that is the case, how would we control for driving under the influence issues? Mon, 22 Dec 2008 01:52:05 +0000 http://change.gov/page/content/GeneralDiscussion/#IDComment12887714 http://change.gov/page/content/discussservice#IDComment12621658 Hi Virginia, Part of the problem is that the site is not yet fully linked so it can be tricky to negotiate to where you want to talk. The developers are still testing much of this and so you have to be patient and willing to do some legwork to find the place you want to be. That said, can't help but be happy that such a forum is being developed so that we have a place to see, learn about, and talk about what is happening in our government. If you go to blogs, then scroll down to the Seat at the Table Blog you will find a link to documents submitted to the transition team. There is (may be more than one) a document on economics there that you can read, comment upon, and add your two cents about economics to. There are documents there about many other issues as well. Hope that helps. Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:48:54 +0000 http://change.gov/page/content/discussservice#IDComment12621658 http://change.gov/page/content/discussservice#IDComment12604302 Is this related to the post's topic somehow? I, too, am very ready to talk educational issues, but do try to use the appropriate forums. There are several education documents for our perusal on Seat at the Table and that would be a good place to start/add to the dialogue on educational issues. Unless you would like to talk about how you are involved in the social cause of education? Or how you provide service to your community via work in schools or such? Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:23:49 +0000 http://change.gov/page/content/discussservice#IDComment12604302 http://change.gov/page/content/discussservice#IDComment12604265 Interesting idea. I know as a teacher I received some direct donations from some online sites that would allow me to describe a project I would like to do in my classroom and what it would cost. I had a local business adopt my project and that was so nice for the business and for my students. Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:18:18 +0000 http://change.gov/page/content/discussservice#IDComment12604265 http://change.gov/page/content/discussservice#IDComment12602398 Greenly, I think you are hitting on something important there. I believe many people no longer trust in giving. I suspect it has to do with things like learning about nonprofit groups with highly paid executives driving around in chauffeured vehicles, or money being funded to some government agency that never got it to those in need, or (as mentioned above) homeless people using it to spend on drugs or such. I believe people have grown cynical about whether their giving matters. My daughter recently showed up to give time and sat with a group of other volunteers for a few hours; they were apparently not needed. Whereas when we went to help with Special Olympics, everyone was needed and had a place. I guess it depends a bit on how organized the particular agency is. That said, I remember once donating to a nonprofit that actually gathered information on charitable causes. They put together info like administrative ratio to service costs, how many people were actually served, etc. They ranked the actual service to cost of different charitable organizations. Their page gave me a sense of which agencies were using the donations most wisely and with best intent. I believe this particular ranking agency was not able to sustain itself and so that sort of information is no longer out there (I would love to hear if something like this exists anywhere else), but it would be great if a clearinghouse of information on both charitable agencies and on volunteer opportunities would be made available through government or nonprofit means. Sun, 14 Dec 2008 20:52:18 +0000 http://change.gov/page/content/discussservice#IDComment12602398 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/building_the_community_a_guide_to_comments/#IDComment12546910 Simon, I appreciate what you are saying, but I would like to point out that education has been doing exactly what you promote these last 8 to 10 years. Schools have set target goals in core subject areas: math and language arts. Milestones and targets are set. Testing systems are in place for everyone to measure how every school is doing. All of the information is made quite public and transparent in newspapers and online. Has this really made for a more effective educational environment? Many would argue (and already have on this list) that schools are ignoring important facets of education through this method of control that surely emulates the private sector methods. Sat, 13 Dec 2008 14:55:45 +0000 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/building_the_community_a_guide_to_comments/#IDComment12546910 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/building_the_community_a_guide_to_comments/#IDComment12546805 Yes, measurement is key to this issue. Equity in schooling means equal opportunity and that is why schools are in such a quandary. How do we measure for equity and still produce a quality education Testing. Subjects that can be tested and learning that can be tested means simplified and linear curriculum. Thus lower level thinking becomes the norm. Anecdotal evidence does not work as evidence because the next person will say, "I hated music and quit band. Why do we teach that stuff?" Sat, 13 Dec 2008 14:44:57 +0000 http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/building_the_community_a_guide_to_comments/#IDComment12546805 http://change.gov/open_government/entry/partnership_for_21st_century_skills_transition_brief/#IDComment12430689 21st century skills are a very desirable direction for education in this next administration. What I liked about this document is their understanding that 21st century skills cannot be a further "add-on" to the regular school curriculum but instead must be embedded into the standards and core curriculum as well as assessment. Hopefully, it is also understood that as thinking and ideas are "embedded" into the standards, so must some parts of those same standards and curriculum be thinned down. 21st century skills cannot be grown in a spit-it-out, write-it-down, bubble-it-in format. It takes time, patience, and teacher-expertise. Furthermore, I do fear assessment of higher level and creative thinking. If you try to standardize and assess say, creativity, the multiple choice format often reduces the thinking to something that would only qualify as 21st century blah. I think it is worth exploring but we should tread carefully before assessing such skills in a standardized format. Thu, 11 Dec 2008 01:43:15 +0000 http://change.gov/open_government/entry/partnership_for_21st_century_skills_transition_brief/#IDComment12430689