-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 10 most wanted government documents for 2004
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 14:56:54 -0500
From: Zellmer, Linda R <[log in to unmask]>


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Hello,

        Sorry for the duplication. However, I thought that map
librarians might also be interested in the information below. Perhaps
the 20th should be the Global GIS CD-ROMs for North America, Europe and
North Eurasia, which USGS gave to the American Geological Institute to
sell through a CRADA (cooperative research & development agreement). If
you are interested, I can give you some more information on this, but
would rather do so off the list. Linda Zellmer

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What would you most want government to show the public?  The 28 secret
pages of Congress' joint inquiry into intelligence failures leading up
to 9/11?  Threats to community safety posed by chemical plants?  How the
government has used Patriot Act powers?  Or a mailing address for the
nation's "spy court"?

We are looking for a few good documents.  The Ten Most Wanted government
documents for 2004, to be precise.  And we're inviting the public to
help.

We've talked with experts and compiled a list of documents that
government could make readily available to the public.  Now we're asking
the public to rank the experts' choices and suggest other documents for
the list.  So please go to www.ombwatch.org/TenMostWanted/survey.phtml,
take the survey and encourage your friends and colleagues to do so as
well.  The deadline is March 31, 2004.

The survey consists of two short parts.  First, you'll have the chance
to rate documents suggested by experts and tell us which documents you
would most like government to show the public.  (Our list has 19 items.
You can nominate the 20th.)  Second, we're also asking the public to
identify the biggest problems you face in getting information from
government.

What will we do with your vote?  After announcing the results in April
as part of the unveiling of OpenTheGovernment.org, a new coalition that
will push for more democracy and less secrecy, we'll push government to
release the documents.

So please, take a few minutes to take the survey at
www.openthegovernment.org.

Also, please redistribute this announcement to lists you think may be
appropriate.

It's easy, it's quick, and it'll help open the government.  Thanks for
your help.

Who We Are and Why We're Doing This

The Ten Most Wanted Project 2004 is being prepared by OMB Watch and the
Center for Democracy and Technology for OpenTheGovernment.org.
OpenTheGovernment.org is a new, unprecedented coalition of over 30
organizations created to fight increased secrecy and promote open
government.  The Center for Democracy and Technology (www.cdt.org) works
to promote democratic values and civil liberties in the digital age.
OMB Watch (www.ombwatch.org) advances social justice,
government accountability and citizen participation in federal policy
decisions.

If the Ten Most Wanted Project 2004 sounds familiar to you, it should.
When the Center for Democracy and Technology and OMB Watch conducted the
10 Most Wanted survey a few years ago (in 1999), we came up with good
results.  At that time, the Supreme Court did not have a web site (but
Mongolia's Supreme Court did). By the 2000 election, the new U.S.
Supreme Court Web site (www.supremecourtus.gov) was ready to handle the
heavy demand to download the Bush v. Gore decision, allowing thousands
from around the world to read the decisions for themselves at the time
that it was published.  In another victory, the government's plans to
recover endangered species were not available online.  After the 10 Most
Wanted survey, resources were made available to step up the time frame
to get these important documents online.

Today, the problems are bigger, and our response will be bigger as well.
We have broadened the range of information the Ten Most Wanted Project
will cover.  The Ten Most Wanted Project 2004 will help launch a broad
national coalition called OpenTheGovernment.org to restore openness and
accountability in our government.  Both OMB Watch and CDT participate
in the coalition.

So vote for the Ten Most Wanted government documents at
www.ombwatch.org/TenMostWanted/survey.phtml.  It'll help open the
government.

Thanks for doing your part.

Rick Blum
OMB Watch (CFC #1308)
1742 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20009
Ph 202-234-8494
F 202-234-8584
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