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Open records struggle in Vermont

This week saw a new chapter in open records struggles here in Vermont. The Vermont State Employees Association, the state workers’ union, had requested from the Department of Human Resources emails and other documents relating to Gov. Douglas’ plan to cut 400 jobs from the state’s payrolls. DHR responded with a demand for $1700 to pay for the time DHR staff would have to spend gathering the documents

2Aug2008 | Deborah Alicen | 1 comment | Continued
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Insurance Company Rules

Netroots Nation, which recently wrapped up in Austin, TX, is something I really, really hoped to go to, but alas. Good things are popping out of there, however, including this stitch of a video, Insurance Company Rules. It’s from Health Care for America Now!, a grassroots campaign to achieve universal affordable health care.
Insurance company bureaucracies are [...]

20Jul2008 | Deborah Alicen | 0 comments | Continued
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Keith John Sampson’s Apology from IUPUI Chancellor Bantz

This one will also go into the BureaucracyBlog Resource Library as an example of both the importance of standing up to bureaucratic abuse, and the role that publicity plays in rectifying bureaucratic abuse.

14Jul2008 | Deborah Alicen | 0 comments | Continued
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Unpacking the last decision: Egregious is as egregious does

If Franz Kafka and Lewis Carroll had provided the raw materials for the fantastical creation of a government office, their results would probably look very much like the Office of Professional Regulation in the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office. Last week I posted the latest and last decision in my Kafkaesque journey through the Looking Glass world of the OPR. This week I unpack that decision.

6Jul2008 | Deborah Alicen | 0 comments | Continued
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When the best can’t pull it off…

What is to be done when even the best, most idealistic and well-seasoned elected official, in the country’s most politically progressive state, cannot prevent her staff from abuses of power based on crony-ism and conflict of interest?

Create a State Ombudsman Office.

30Jun2008 | Deborah Alicen | 0 comments | Continued
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The People’s Right To Know – Right Now!

By J.T. “Jerry” Miller

Former Commissioner of Kentucky’s Department of Parks

You are a huge basketball fan. Your team is playing in the tournament finals. You’ve used your hard earned money to buy tickets for your family, not to mention the expensive drinks, popcorn and hot dogs. Now imagine that you and the other fans in the stands have to watch the game through a foggy window. You can’t really see the action, so you have to rely on the P.A. announcer who will give you updates on what’s going on – as he sees it.

23Jun2008 | Jerry | 2 comments | Continued

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