Chimp doesn't want us to follow the money

New barrier seen to viewing data on U.S. spending
http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/dailystar/60182.php

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is sending records of more than a trillion dollars worth of federal expenditures into a privately run database that scholars and activists say hinders their ability to examine how tax money is spent.

"This clearly raises barriers to the public," said Rick Blum, director of Openthegovernment.org, a coalition of some 30 nonprofit groups concerned about government secrecy issues. "It's public information made available through a keyhole."

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Search fields omitted
But the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation, designed by Virginia-based Global Computer Enterprises, arrived in early January about a year late and with key search fields omitted. For example, viewers can't search the database by product service code, which is the government coding scheme for finding a product or a service that is being contracted.

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Certification criticized
Requiring Global Computer Enterprises to certify companies before they can access the information is seen as an intrusion. In order to be certified, companies have to sign a document agreeing to limit their searches from midnight to 6 a.m. during the week.

There he was, puffing out his chest and preaching about our wonderful transparent government while he was kissing butt in Europe.

Of course we know better. This is disturbing.

he just thinks he has a blank check, and he can hide the ledger, no telling what they are getting away with. Who knows why all that credit card information disappeared? Who knows why the rolling blackouts happened just after he was elected?.. and who knows why Enron collapsed, with everybody's pensions and savings in stocks and bonds,??? Gees who knows why Halliburton got the no bid contract? I wouldn't think they'd use the Bin Ladin construction company? Where'd that 9 billion go? Funny how that's already old news.

That is the great thing about google. Enter right word combo and great things pop-up. So to quote the Chimp, "You can run, but you can't hide."