Heading To D.C.

by: Chris Bowers

Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 08:00


I'm headed to D.C. today for a daytrip. Natasha and I have to run a bunch of business-related errands to complete. Also, I have to keep unfairly criticizing Obama while jousting at imperfectly progressive windmills meet with some members of his transition team. Although I had difficulty sleeping tonight trying to think of what to say at the meeting, but I think I have finally settled on something: public access to the stimulus package.

Right now, there is a lot of talk of a stimulus bill to help put the economy back track. However, there is one problem with all of this discussion: there is no stimulus bill. The amount has not yet been decided upon. The details have not been worked out. The relevant congressional committees have not seen drafts, because no drafts have been written. The public certainly hasn't seen anything, and likely won't see anything for a long time. And, when the public does get to finally see something, in all likelihood, there won't be enough time to read the entire thing before it is voted on by Congress. As I know from being both a student and a teacher for a long time, it's kind of hard to debate, much less discuss, something you haven't even read.

This problem is not specific to the stimulus bill. In fact, every major spending bill, from the stimulus to the Farm Bill to departmental appropriations bills will be absolutely enormous and be presented to the public with little or no time for any real public input. Obama has previously pledged to help solve this problem by posting "every piece of non-emergency legislation online for five days before he signs it so that Americans can comment." That's cool, but really, it is not adequate in this case. Obama isn't going to veto the stimulus package as his first act in office, as that would be political suicide. So, giving the public five days to comment on legislation that has already passed Congress and is certain to be signed does not amount to any meaningful input. Further, this legislation will probably fall into the "emergency" category, so we might not even get the five-day waiting period.

Here's my idea: the stimulus package should be posted online for five days before it is voted on in the House. That is really the only way that the public will have an opportunity to have a meaningful impact on this bill. For a piece of legislation this important, we need to know what is, and what is not, included in the bill. This is actually a perfect task for a crowd-sourcing community like the netroots, and much better than the talking point reinforcing salesperson job Democratic leaders typically expect from us. It would be a nice extension of people-powered, grassroots activism into governing.

Anyway, that's my idea. What would you say if you were involved in a transition meeting? It isn't easy to come up with something that might actually make a difference, but I am very interested in reading your thoughts.

Chris Bowers :: Heading To D.C.

Tags: , , (All Tags)
Print Friendly View Send As Email
Heading To D.C. | 36 comments
Chris, (4.00 / 2)
I agree with your idea and it is something Obama promised to do, so it is a fair ask. The Sunlight Foundation did this as well with a bill this past summer.  

I don't know if this falls into the purview of the transition team, but I am very eager to know about the 50 state strategy vis a vi the organizing website he has (MyBO). Does he plan to integrate the two? Will he use his site to mobilize people? Does he intend to keep it for himself or does he intend to make it part of the DNC structure?  

We won the Battle. Now the Real Fight for Change Begins. Join MoveOn.org and fight for progressive change.  

change.gov (0.00 / 0)
They seem to be an extension of MyBO with the official .gov domain, and they have been accepting individual comments and ideas on at least health care and the economy for a while now.

[ Parent ]
Thanks for asking (0.00 / 0)
As part of the public works project that is rumored to be part of the Jan. 20th stimulus package I think President Obama should include a project to cable or wire ALL urban schools in America with internet.  Or even better bring wifi to every public school in America.

Give American high school children laptops.
Hold local contests across the country for programming, development, and design. Winners gets four years of college paid.

Then he promised transparency in government: use the stimulus to re-wire national and state budgeting to make it accessible online----make results based budgeting easy for everyone to see and compare.

I could go on and on but I think you should ask for a very large public works project that turns the internet into a tool for public to participate in government and provide equal access for all income levels.


This is your Quest (0.00 / 0)
To follow that star,
No matter how hopeless,
No matter how far,
To fight for the rightleft
Without question or pause,
To be willing to march into hell
For a heavenly cause!
:D
Is this trip voluntary? (4.00 / 3)
Or have you been summoned for reeducation?
How do salesmen say? It's not a problem, it's a chance! (4.00 / 1)
"However, there is one problem with all of this discussion: there is no stimulus bill."

Great! So there's still a chance for progressives to influence the bill from the very start, to make sure that not only the details, but the whole framework is compatible with the left. Now, who's working on that bill in Congress? Reach out to those lawmakers by email or phone and make them aware of essential points that their constituency demands to be in that bill.

And translated into that tranistion meeting scenario,this means preparing a short list with the basics points that HAVE to be covered. In the case of the stimulus bill, imho this should be a large infrastructure program that will provide jobs for hundreds of thousands Americans. Gush up, not trickle down, has to be the imperative. To inspire consumer confidence, laws and regulations protecting the consumer are important, too, for instance a cap on credit card fees. And a long term research program into future technologies that will provide jobs for lots of qualified Americans and prepare the ground for new, competitive US industries.

Also, health care reform is a must for improving job flexibility and for equal and fair conditions in the economy. But I guess that's a job for another discussion group.  

My thoughts... (4.00 / 4)
I met with HUD's Agency Review Team last week, and I must say that the experience was rather disappointing.  In the housing and community development policy world there are any number of problems that need to be solved, and some of the solutions will require a substantial investment of time and resources.  That's no secret.  However, I was hopping that the meeting, beyond offering a chance to discuss long-term reform initiatives, would be an opportunity to develop an action agenda with a focus on concrete steps that the new Administration could implement immediately.  That didn't happen.  It was a very theoretical, high-level conversation that emphasized philosophy over problem-solving.  Maybe your experience will be different.  My advice would be to be very up-front about your specific proposal.  Don't spend a lot of time talking about generalities; cut to the chase, and let that proposal lead in to a broader discussion about transparency rather than the other way around.

With regards to the stimulus, I think you're only half-right in your characterization.  We do have a stimulus bill.  In fact, we have several.  The House passed a bill, and the Senate has twice tried to pass two different packages, coming up short each time.  Now these packages are admittedly less ambitious than what it is now on the table, but they do provide us with a starting point for discussion.  In my line of work, our most important priorities are funding for public housing capital improvements and Community Development Block Grants to support job creation and infrastructure projects.

And we also, in most cases at least, have seen the departmental appropriations bills that will eventually be combined into an omnibus spending bill.  The final package probably won't differ much from these individual bills.  The 110th Congress has done the legwork, and the 111th Congress will move quickly.  I would suggest placing more emphasis on Obama's FY 2010 budget proposal.  That's where we can start to secure lasting increases for important progressive programs.

I agree (4.00 / 1)
The 110th Congress has done the legwork, and the 111th Congress will move quickly.

Watching a few House hearings, it's clear that many needed projects have been proposed, planned for in pretty good detail, and then set aside awaiting funding.

Do you anticipate that these projects will be included in an omnibus? When the various representatives spoke about the importance of the proposed projects, it sure seemed clear to me that the benefits to each city or town were going to be manifold. My worry was that somehow all the staff work would be for naught. I'd like to feel confident that these bills would become reality, as they do what your Community Development Block Grants do, create jobs as they restore, rebuild and modernize infrastructure.  

[ Parent ]
My understanding... (0.00 / 0)
...is that the omnibus appropriations bill for FY 2009 will conform to the overall top-line number previously settled upon by the Democratic leadership.  In other words, whatever the individual, unfinished bills added up to, that's how much the omnibus will total.  The opportunity for substantial funding increases for existing programs will have to wait until Congress takes up the FY 2010 appropriations bills.  The stimulus bill will be emergency spending, so that's a different situation.  

If you're referring to earmarks, then I'm not sure what the fate of those will be.  A few years ago we saw a one-year moratorium on earmarks, at least within the HUD spending bill.  In my work, I track so-called Economic Development Initiative earmarks, which typically total around $200-$300 million each year.  Some of these earmarks go toward worthy projects.  Unfortunately, they come out of the hide of what is known as the Community Development Fund, which results in fewer dollars for distribution through the CDBG formula program.  CDBG projects must serve low- and moderate-income persons, whereas EDI projects don't always serve the needy.   When you hear a Republican railing against "pork projects" within the CDBG program, they are usually confusing EDI projects with the actual CDBG formula program.  

[ Parent ]
Recommended for this sage advice... (0.00 / 0)
My advice would be to be very up-front about your specific proposal.  Don't spend a lot of time talking about generalities; cut to the chase, and let that proposal lead in to a broader discussion about transparency rather than the other way around.

I second dolphan76's recommendation farther down the thread that you ask why there are not more unabashed progressives in the administration, such as Howard Dean and Wes Clark.

[ Parent ]
Re: Heading to D.C. (4.00 / 2)
Here's my idea: the stimulus package should be posted online for five days before it is voted on in the House.
Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

Seriously, this should be the rule for everything. Why isn't it?

Well, it also gives opponents more time to prepare, too... (0.00 / 0)
and opponents don't necessarily only sit in the other party's ranks. I guess that's why rushing bills through without any debate became a trademark of Bush's Congress leaders.
[ Parent ]
Stimulus questions (4.00 / 4)
As the Director of Affordable Housing for Los Angeles County I would like to be at the table and ask exactly what are they going to do about housing.  Infrastructure is great, communities need roads, libraries, schools, bridges, but if no one can live there, what's the use.  The Urban Policy page talks about fully funding the CDBG program and public housing modernization but with up to 90000 homeless people in LA County and a 25% increase of families showing up at the Dept. of Public Social Services to ask for benefits, we need a full array of housing and service options back on the table.  The foreclosure crisis has us all atwitter about homeownership, which is fine, but many many people can't afford to own a home and maybe shouldn't.  It's not rocket science and all the young minds that he has gathered around need to ask a few of us who have been here for a while.  We need short and long term rental subsidies to go with the capital to build new affordable housing and subsidies for existing rentals; rent to prevent eviction, services for those with disabilities.  Many will find work with these new projects; many won't and we still need to house and service these individuals and families.  I could go on and on but you're at the table so go ahead and ask.
I'm suprised... (0.00 / 0)
I'm suprised that there are such local starrs among the commenters here. Great!
[ Parent ]
local starrs (4.00 / 1)
Sorry I was at work all day so just saw your comment.  Yes there are many of us on the front lines implementing programs and trying to discuss things on line to learn and be heard.  I'll keep writing.
[ Parent ]
Oversight from outside the Beltway (4.00 / 1)
One reason that people don't trust the bailouts that have occurred so far and may not trust what Obama proposes for a stimulus is that the same people calling for the funds are the same ones overseeing how they're implemented and the sames ones assessing the results. There's no "checks and balances." But there needs to be and it should come in the form of a committee that is strictly not connected to the funding and implementation process so that there's no conflict of interest.

Save Our Schools! March & National Call to Action, July 28-31, 2011 in Washington, DC: http://www.saveourschoolsmarch...
Why not ask them why the team being assembled........ (4.00 / 3)
does not include more pure progressives? I am not trying to start a fight here, but this site has been obsessed with this and here is your chance to express these concerns directly in a productive way. It seems like this has been your biggest concern lately with the transition so why would you focus on anything else. Are you really as concerned about this as you have come across? If so, I would suggest taking it straight to the source that can actually get your (our) concerns heard? I would like to see a few more "left leaning" people in high positions. If you do not think that would be a wise use of your time with them, then I would say you are not as concerned about it as you have implied.
I guess I should add.... (0.00 / 0)
I am curious as to their answer because I would honestly like to know what they feel their record so far is. For example, 1) do they feel progressives are fairly represented so far relative to their importance to the party, or 2) do they have other positions coming for progressives that will allow them to assume larger roles later in the administration, or in future administrations? In other words, do they care what we think? I would hope they do, and I assume they will try to make you feel that way even if they do not, but if they patronize you then you can let us know if they come across that way.
[ Parent ]
My Bet is... (0.00 / 0)
They will say it is and list people THEY consider progressives but many or most of us do not.  Ultimately, whether someone is progressive or not isn't a yes or no question... sometimes it depends on the person making the judgement...   Afterall, we saw someone yesterday who considered Clinton and Daschle progressives and while I think there are some issues they are progressive on, I don't feel THEY are progressives.    Two different POVs in this case made diffferent judgements on if one is progressive.
[ Parent ]
Whatever their response....... (4.00 / 1)
it is valuable information even if it pisses us off. We can read between the lines, but I would like any info. I can get from the inside as we have no real feeling for what their thought process is. Are they completely throwing us under the bus, or are they just navigating a difficult political balancing act and only stepping on us? I know they will not actually be what I would call forthright, but Chris would get a feeling for their actual thoughts.
[ Parent ]
It is true that a lot of it depends on who makes the judgement, but (0.00 / 0)
that is why rather than going with subjective judgements, which could be somewhat irrational or reflexive depending on which issue one finds THE most important issue to oneself for this assessment, it is more telling to go with ideological ratings sites.  They attempt to leave subjective viewpoints outside the door and look at the actual voting record to make such a judgement.  Progressive Punch goes a step further, parsing voting record with the additional measure "vote when the chips are down" to judge a voting record by its relative importance to how closely fought a measure is in Congress.  The idea behind it being that one could conceivably pad a progressive score by voting progressive when a measure is certain to fail.

What I find unfortunate in this discussion, and why I decided to get involved with an opposition statement of my own, is that the meme pushed hard by Sirota, Stoller and Bowers, as flawed and reflexive as I personally believe it to be, does not just have the effect to create interesting discussion, but it feeds the beast we are trying to slay.   The movement and pushback against the media's incessant babbling that we are in a center-right country is laudable, but not helped at all when the same people who are pushing the hardest against it insist that ALL cabinet appointments are center-right, which means Obama is center-right.  That false meme feeds the glee of Limbaugh, Hannity and the right blogosphere as well as serves to validate the media's center-right claims.

I was not an Obama supporter in the primaries, he was, frankly, a bit too much of a centrist for me, but we are talking WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC ideological spectrum, not the overall political spectrum.  Some of the cabinet members overall leanings may be to the right of the progressive spectrum, depending on which issue one stakes out as the important ones, but they are clearly not Blue Dogs and they don't overall have a moderate/centrist record when it comes to the entire political spectrum.

There is a big difference, which seems to get lost in all the anger expressed.

[ Parent ]
Agreed (0.00 / 0)
Chris, as much as you and the Stoller and Sirota have beaten that particular horse into an unrecognizable mass of bone and sinew, why in the world would you not address it with someone in the transition team when given a chance? Either this is an issue that you think is defining, which is how it appears from the ridiculous amount of posts and sifting through tea leaves criticism you all have levied from your perch, or else I am unsure why you have wasted the key strokes on the issue.

Since this is eating at you so, I would think you would want to ask it directly.

[ Parent ]
Good Idea (0.00 / 0)

Attach card check to the stimulus bill.... (4.00 / 5)
...that's my suggestion.
Adam, Adam, Adam (4.00 / 1)
Now you're getting partisan; that is so un-2009.
[ Parent ]
Think we might need Franken and Martin........ (0.00 / 0)
to pull that off, maybe not even then. Nice try though.
[ Parent ]
Well, it passed the House easily last time around (0.00 / 0)
and attaching it to an important measure that has urgency written all over it may be the way to get it through the Senate.  It may get some Republicans to vote the other way to avoid looking like they obstructed a bill meant to bring about an immediate stimulus to the flagging economy and benefit the middle class and poor strongly.  
[ Parent ]
Would be very hard for Olympia Snowe to vote against it then (0.00 / 0)
and you certainly would get every democratic senator to vote to cut off debate.
[ Parent ]
If I were meeting with the transition team (0.00 / 0)
I would say, "Give me a job, please."
your idea re: enough time for citizen input (0.00 / 0)
I support your idea. In fact, I like it a lot as a talking point.
  Please take along with you a copy of Dignity for All: How to Create a World without Rankism, which discusses the need for this sort of mechanism in a "dignitarian" society. (To view recent info from the publisher about the book, click on this link: http://www.bkpextranet.com/dig... or go to http://www.dignityforall.org.)
  One of the basic principles to follow in creating a dignitarian organization or society is that it is essential to allow meaningful input from participants/stakeholders. The designated decision-makers can make the decision, but without building in mechanisms that give opportunity for meaningful input to the diversity of others who are part of the organization or society, the risk of rankism becomes greater, the dignity of everyone is not honored, and you don't get the benefit of genuinely diverse perspectives, i.e., you lose vast amounts of problem-solving capability; fresh, solution-oriented ideas, and wisdom. You need to set up mechanisms that are not too cumbersome and that don't inhibit forward movement at a reasonable pace, but there must be such mechanisms. In this case, I believe you are completely correct that adequate time must be allowed for input or the input is automatically rendered "not meanginful."
Thanks for posting this.

Pamela Gerloff
[ Parent ]
torture/domestic spying/lawbreaking by the Bushies (4.00 / 3)
Matt Yglesias made a pretty sound point the other day - that criminal charges on any of these issue should never be taken off the table (even if it might be a good idea not to pursue those charges, at least for now). The reason is: if charges were taken off the table, it would presumably be out of some effort at "truth and reconciliation": acknowledging our mistakes and moving on. The problem is that none of the principals responsible are likely to express remorse or suddenly admit that, yeah, torture is wrong after all. So taking charges off the table would accomplish nothing but granting effective immunity to the torturers, et al.

So ask them this: are they considering taking such charges off the table?

Relatedly, tell them to get rid of John Brennan.

5 days to comment on the bills... (0.00 / 0)
not just see them. Then some time for our emplyees in congress to make the changes we demand. Though I suppose knowing bills will be published could help.

I also wish I knew why nobody in congress is calling Paulson to task for shooting cannon balls as fast as he can into the leaking ship of state. His eyes have a crazed look.

Maybe a first step? (0.00 / 0)
Obama should in the next two weeks publish bullet points of stimulus high level goals, for example:

• Infrastructure (including but limited to roads, bridges, power grid, regional rail)

• State aid to balance budgets

...

And so on to give a broad outline of what people can expect. And not expect. For example, one bullet point might relate to help for home owners with underwater mortgages.

The idea would be broad strokes, not specifics or trade offs. Enough to assure voters Obama is on the right track. And maybe generate early support if anything requires pressure. Better to find out now than later.

they did that with the TARP bill (0.00 / 0)
Yeah, and I posted my idea for a Main Street stimulus/debt relief package there, though it was not related to the bill under consideration. Did the effort at Sunlight Foundation make a difference? I don't think so.

I sent my $10K Solution through to change.gov, and have posted it ad nauseum between Daily Kos, the NYT, and other outlets.

What would be better is for us to pitch our own ideas here, vote on the best, and pick those to bits so they can be improved.

What would have been even better is if this process started a month or two ago.

For now, though, get the word out that individuals can send in ideas through change.gov.

So what was the result (0.00 / 0)
I hope you write something tomorrow about your experience.
Excellent! (0.00 / 0)

Heading To D.C. | 36 comments
USER MENU

Open Left Campaigns

SEARCH

   

Advanced Search

QUICK HITS
STATE BLOGS

Home | RSS/XML Feed | Register | Contact

  © OpenLeft 2007-2010, Powered by SoapBlox

Powered by: SoapBlox