Change.gov, the transition site of the former President-elect, actively solicited advice and input from all comers on matters of public concern. (That function will now be performed through the newly relaunched whitehouse.gov.) Our sister program, Digital Communities, responded early to the call with a transition brief that summarized the priorities of local governments.
Beyond the Digital Communities document, there are three nuggets that stand out in the breathtaking volume of unsolicited advice.
The first two represent a rare bit of agreement between a liberal Nobel Laureate economist and a conservative operative of the first order. Their subject: Economic Stimulus.
In the January 22 issue of Rolling Stone, Economist Paul Krugman wrote an open letter to the new president. It read, in part,
Importantly, Krugman continues,
Greg Elin of the Sunshine Foundation told public radio that digital technologies are transformative -- and that new administration can prove it by doing a couple of things on day one:
If it is not too early to speak of the new president's legacy, if this is our moment, if this is our time, then let's let government in our time be remembered for being smart, sustainable and transparent.
Beyond the Digital Communities document, there are three nuggets that stand out in the breathtaking volume of unsolicited advice.
The first two represent a rare bit of agreement between a liberal Nobel Laureate economist and a conservative operative of the first order. Their subject: Economic Stimulus.
In the January 22 issue of Rolling Stone, Economist Paul Krugman wrote an open letter to the new president. It read, in part,
As much as possible, you should spend on things of lasting value, things that, like roads and bridges, will make us a richer nation. Upgrade the infrastructure behind the Internet; upgrade the electrical grid; improve information technology in the health care sector, a critical part of any health care."
Importantly, Krugman continues,
Provide aid to state and local governments, to prevent them from cutting investment spending at precisely the wrong moment. And remember, as you do this, that all this spending does double duty: It serves the future, but it also helps the present, by providing jobs and income to offset the slump."Still on the subject of stimulus, former House speaker Newt Gingrich cautions,
They're talking about a government that's still a trillion, 500 billion dollars. We ought to then have a smart, trillion, 500 billion dollar government, not a dumb one. Lincoln built the trans-continental railroads, one of the key factors in the rising Republican majority of his generation. Theodore Roosevelt built the Panama Canal. Eisenhower proposed the interstate highway system as a national defense act.... There are smart things government should do....There's a huge jump from the transcontinental railroad president to a pothole presidency. What I've seen so far is a tendency to have relatively tiny projects that have no strategic impact on the country's long-term future."
Greg Elin of the Sunshine Foundation told public radio that digital technologies are transformative -- and that new administration can prove it by doing a couple of things on day one:
I think the first one is an executive order stating that social media and technology of Web 2.0 should be used by all the agencies. I think that that's absolutely the first one. We're certainly hopeful that he's going to follow through on his promises to create an Ethics.gov site and to make the information of lobbying activity as searchable as the contracts are.
I think the other thing is we'd like to see this information available in real time; rather than report it twice a year or quarterly or annually, that this information is available as it happens in real time.
If it is not too early to speak of the new president's legacy, if this is our moment, if this is our time, then let's let government in our time be remembered for being smart, sustainable and transparent.
Leave a comment