Difference between revisions of "Sunshine Review"
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| − | '''Sunshine Review''' is "a non-profit organization dedicated to state and local government transparency," according to the organization website. Upon its launch in 2008, it was a project of the [[Sam Adams Alliance]], but "in 2010 separated from SAM and launched its own organization dedicated to educating the public about affirmative disclosure and other open government initiatives." The organization works with the [[National Taxpayers Union]] (which is funded by Philip Morris) "to develop information on state spending" and the Madison-based [http://lburnsinstitute.org/ Lucy Burns Institute], which "runs the WikiFOIA project" as well as BallotPedia.<ref>Sunshine Review [http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Sunshine_Review:About About], Organization website, accessed April 22, 2011</ref><ref>Lucy Burns Institute [http://lburnsinstitute.org/ Home] organization website, accessed April 22, 2011</ref> | + | '''Sunshine Review''' is "a non-profit organization dedicated to state and local government transparency," according to the organization website. Upon its launch in July 2008, it was a project of the [[Sam Adams Alliance]], but "in 2010 separated from SAM and launched its own organization dedicated to educating the public about affirmative disclosure and other open government initiatives." The organization works with the [[National Taxpayers Union]] (which is funded by Philip Morris) "to develop information on state spending" and the Madison-based [http://lburnsinstitute.org/ Lucy Burns Institute], which "runs the WikiFOIA project" as well as BallotPedia.<ref>Sunshine Review [http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Sunshine_Review:About About], Organization website, accessed April 22, 2011</ref><ref>Lucy Burns Institute [http://lburnsinstitute.org/ Home] organization website, accessed April 22, 2011</ref> |
The organization defines "government transparency" or "open government" as "the political doctrine which holds that the business of government and state administration should be opened at all levels to effective public scrutiny and oversight. In its broadest construction it opposes reason of state and national security considerations, which have tended to legitimize extensive state secrecy."<ref>Sunshine Review [http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Open_government Open government], editable wiki page, accessed April 21, 2011</ref> The organization runs a wiki that "collects and shares transparency information and uses a '10-point Transparency Checklist'"-- defined as "a list of website transparency features that citizens in any part of the United States should be able to find when they visit the websites of counties, cities, school districts, and state agencies"-- "to evaluate the content of every state and more than 5,000 local government websites."<ref>Sunshine Review [http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Sunshine_Review:About About], Organization website, accessed April 21, 2011</ref><ref>Sunshine Review [http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Transparency_checklist Transparency checklist], editable wiki page, accessed April 21, 2011</ref> This is called the "My Government Review" Project.<ref>Sunshine Review [http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/The_%22My_Government_Website%22_Project The "My Government Website" Project], editable wiki page, accessed April 22, 2011</ref> The organization propounds the belief "that the responsibility of providing information falls on the government, who should participate in affirmative disclosure"-- defined as "the revelation of information that may be damaging to the one revealing it. When used in the terms of open government, it is the practice of the government publishing government data, rather than for an individual's public records request."<ref>Sunshine Review [http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Affirmative_disclosure Affirmative disclosure], editable wiki page, accessed April 21, 2011</ref> | The organization defines "government transparency" or "open government" as "the political doctrine which holds that the business of government and state administration should be opened at all levels to effective public scrutiny and oversight. In its broadest construction it opposes reason of state and national security considerations, which have tended to legitimize extensive state secrecy."<ref>Sunshine Review [http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Open_government Open government], editable wiki page, accessed April 21, 2011</ref> The organization runs a wiki that "collects and shares transparency information and uses a '10-point Transparency Checklist'"-- defined as "a list of website transparency features that citizens in any part of the United States should be able to find when they visit the websites of counties, cities, school districts, and state agencies"-- "to evaluate the content of every state and more than 5,000 local government websites."<ref>Sunshine Review [http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Sunshine_Review:About About], Organization website, accessed April 21, 2011</ref><ref>Sunshine Review [http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Transparency_checklist Transparency checklist], editable wiki page, accessed April 21, 2011</ref> This is called the "My Government Review" Project.<ref>Sunshine Review [http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/The_%22My_Government_Website%22_Project The "My Government Website" Project], editable wiki page, accessed April 22, 2011</ref> The organization propounds the belief "that the responsibility of providing information falls on the government, who should participate in affirmative disclosure"-- defined as "the revelation of information that may be damaging to the one revealing it. When used in the terms of open government, it is the practice of the government publishing government data, rather than for an individual's public records request."<ref>Sunshine Review [http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Affirmative_disclosure Affirmative disclosure], editable wiki page, accessed April 21, 2011</ref> | ||
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==Personnel== | ==Personnel== | ||
| − | Michael Barnhart, Executive Director (also on the board of the [[Sam Adams Alliance]]) | + | * Michael Barnhart, Executive Director (also on the board of the [[Sam Adams Alliance]]) |
| − | Kristin McMurray, | + | * Kristin McMurray, Managing Editor, formerly of the [[Sam Adams Alliance]]<ref>Kristin McMurray [http://www.kristinmcmurray.com/about-me About Me], personal website, accessed April 22, 2011</ref> |
| − | Joshua Meyer, WikiFOIA Editor (WikiFOIA is a project of the [http://lburnsinstitute.org/ Lucy Burns Institute], which links to Sunshine Review from its homepage) | + | * Diana Lopez, Senior Editor/FOIA Specialist |
| + | * Joshua Meyer, WikiFOIA Editor (WikiFOIA is a project of the [http://lburnsinstitute.org/ Lucy Burns Institute], which links to Sunshine Review from its homepage) | ||
Although an organization dedicated to transparency, Sunshine Review lists no Board members nor any information about its funding on its website. | Although an organization dedicated to transparency, Sunshine Review lists no Board members nor any information about its funding on its website. | ||
| Line 38: | Line 39: | ||
==Contact Details== | ==Contact Details== | ||
| − | No physical address is listed on the organization website. | + | No physical address is listed on the organization website, but the organization is based in Arlington, Virginia.<ref>Sunshine Review, [http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Sunshine_Review:About About], organizational website, accessed July 2012</ref><br> |
| − | Tel: (773) 234-9812 | + | Tel: (773) 234-9812<br> |
| − | Email: Kristinpedia@sunshinereview.org | + | Email: Kristinpedia@sunshinereview.org<br> |
Website: http://sunshinereview.org/core/home | Website: http://sunshinereview.org/core/home | ||
==Articles and Resources== | ==Articles and Resources== | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
===Related SourceWatch Articles=== | ===Related SourceWatch Articles=== | ||
| − | [[Sam Adams Alliance]] | + | |
| − | [[National Taxpayers Union]] | + | * [[Sam Adams Alliance]] |
| + | * [[National Taxpayers Union]] | ||
===External Resources=== | ===External Resources=== | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===References=== | ||
| + | {{reflist|2}} | ||
[[Category:Politics (US)]] [category:Conservatives]] [[category:Right wing]] [[Category:Tea Party Movement]] | [[Category:Politics (US)]] [category:Conservatives]] [[category:Right wing]] [[Category:Tea Party Movement]] | ||
Revision as of 18:39, 30 July 2012
{{#badges:stub}} Sunshine Review is "a non-profit organization dedicated to state and local government transparency," according to the organization website. Upon its launch in July 2008, it was a project of the Sam Adams Alliance, but "in 2010 separated from SAM and launched its own organization dedicated to educating the public about affirmative disclosure and other open government initiatives." The organization works with the National Taxpayers Union (which is funded by Philip Morris) "to develop information on state spending" and the Madison-based Lucy Burns Institute, which "runs the WikiFOIA project" as well as BallotPedia.[1][2]
The organization defines "government transparency" or "open government" as "the political doctrine which holds that the business of government and state administration should be opened at all levels to effective public scrutiny and oversight. In its broadest construction it opposes reason of state and national security considerations, which have tended to legitimize extensive state secrecy."[3] The organization runs a wiki that "collects and shares transparency information and uses a '10-point Transparency Checklist'"-- defined as "a list of website transparency features that citizens in any part of the United States should be able to find when they visit the websites of counties, cities, school districts, and state agencies"-- "to evaluate the content of every state and more than 5,000 local government websites."[4][5] This is called the "My Government Review" Project.[6] The organization propounds the belief "that the responsibility of providing information falls on the government, who should participate in affirmative disclosure"-- defined as "the revelation of information that may be damaging to the one revealing it. When used in the terms of open government, it is the practice of the government publishing government data, rather than for an individual's public records request."[7]
When considered in relation to the Financial Stress Test model as applied to municipal, county and state governments, one may wonder, as Rick Ungar does in an op-ed for Forbes April 20, 2011, if, "by making information more transparent by placing complicated financial data online that is already provided to the Department of Revenue..., the residents of local communities will somehow gain a better understanding as to how good or bad things are in their home town."[8] (His comments are in relation to a Greater Milwaukee Committee proposal for the "development of a fiscal stress test for Wisconsin municipalities".)[9]
Non-members who attempt to edit the Sunshine Review wiki pages receive a warning message that reads "Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be recorded in this page's edit history" but are apparently not prevented from making changes.
Contents
Changes Effected
In January of 2009, St. Charles Parish, LA unveiled a new website containing more information, "partly in response to a review of the parish's old Web site by the Sunshine Review," including adding "the parish's budget, audit and other financial information to the site," at a cost of $47,000.[10]
In December of 2008, DuPage County, IL promised to add information about county contracts to its newly redesigned website in response to a mostly-positive rating (eight categories out of ten already meeting standards) from the Sunshine Review.[11]
Tulsa County, OK, Owasso City, OK, Anderson County, SC and Cook County, IL have also made changes to their websites in response to Sunshine Review ratings.[12][13][14][15]
Other Governmental Websites Reviewed
Wisconsin
In April 2011, a press release penned by Claire Milbrandt, an Account Manager at J Connors and Co public relations firm in Milwaukee (whose office is in the same building as an Americans for Prosperity office, according to a Google Maps search) and former consultant at Americans for Prosperity,[16] revealed that "Wisconsin school districts earned an overall "D" transparency grade for information available on their websites according to an analysis conducted by Sunshine Review, a pro-transparency group.
"Of the 442 school districts rated by the group, 173 earned failing grades.... Organizations across Wisconsin like Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI) have been pushing transparency for years without much success from Madison.... Madison’s school district, one of the largest in the state, garnered only a C- due to only partially meeting many of the requirements.
"The President of Sunshine Review, Michael Barnhart, believes if schools begin to proactively disclose the other checklist components it will have a positive impact on the state’s education system. 'It is crucial for parents and taxpayers to have access to complete information about how school districts operate,' said Barnhart."[17]
Public Discourse
Sunshine Review sponsors a weekly chat on Twitter via @FOIAchat that has hosted journalists like Pulitzer winner Ryan Gabrielson.[18][19]
Personnel
- Michael Barnhart, Executive Director (also on the board of the Sam Adams Alliance)
- Kristin McMurray, Managing Editor, formerly of the Sam Adams Alliance[20]
- Diana Lopez, Senior Editor/FOIA Specialist
- Joshua Meyer, WikiFOIA Editor (WikiFOIA is a project of the Lucy Burns Institute, which links to Sunshine Review from its homepage)
Although an organization dedicated to transparency, Sunshine Review lists no Board members nor any information about its funding on its website.
Contact Details
No physical address is listed on the organization website, but the organization is based in Arlington, Virginia.[21]
Tel: (773) 234-9812
Email: Kristinpedia@sunshinereview.org
Website: http://sunshinereview.org/core/home
Articles and Resources
Related SourceWatch Articles
External Resources
References
- ↑ Sunshine Review About, Organization website, accessed April 22, 2011
- ↑ Lucy Burns Institute Home organization website, accessed April 22, 2011
- ↑ Sunshine Review Open government, editable wiki page, accessed April 21, 2011
- ↑ Sunshine Review About, Organization website, accessed April 21, 2011
- ↑ Sunshine Review Transparency checklist, editable wiki page, accessed April 21, 2011
- ↑ Sunshine Review The "My Government Website" Project, editable wiki page, accessed April 22, 2011
- ↑ Sunshine Review Affirmative disclosure, editable wiki page, accessed April 21, 2011
- ↑ Rick Ungar What Is Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Not Telling Us About Financial Stress Test Legislation?, The Policy Page, Forbes Blog, April 20, 2011
- ↑ Julia Taylor A statement on the MY Milwaukee County initiative from GMC President Julia Taylor, Press release, April 20, 2011, accessed April 21, 2011
- ↑ Matt Scallan St. Charles redesigns Web site, The Times-Picayune, January 22, 2009
- ↑ Dan Petrella County Web site earns top marks for transparency, Lombard Spectator, December 8, 2008
- ↑ World's Editorial Writers County kudos: 'Perfect' score allows more sunlight, Tulsa World, October 24, 2009
- ↑ Rhett Morgan Owasso gets high mark for openness: The rating comes after key lawsuit details are revealed, Tulsa World, January 9, 2010
- ↑ Mike Ellis Openness is Anderson’s message at convention, Independent Mail, July 29, 2009
- ↑ The Civic Federation Cook County’s New Online Check Register Gives Public Access to County Spending Records, Blog, February 24, 2010
- ↑ LinkedIn Claire Milbrandt, internet profile, accessed May 5, 2011
- ↑ Sunshine Review Wisconsin school districts websites fail transparency test, Press Release, April 7, 2011
- ↑ International Journalists' Network From Tip to Story: Chat with Pulitzer winner Ryan Gabrielson, Blog, March 25, 2011
- ↑ Sunshine Review Calendar of topics, organization website, accessed April 22, 2011
- ↑ Kristin McMurray About Me, personal website, accessed April 22, 2011
- ↑ Sunshine Review, About, organizational website, accessed July 2012
[category:Conservatives]]
