Government Matters Articles

Different Opinion on Chemical Security

OMB Watch responded to a recent Washington Times Op-ed, entitled "Toxic road map for terrorists" with this letter to the editor. Angela Logomasini ("Toxic road map for terrorists," Op-Ed, 9/4/2002) advocates eliminating public access to risk management plans (RMPs) because it is possible the information could be misused. Perhaps she would agree with some in industry that propose government no longer collect RMPs since the information may fall into the wrong hands.

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Bush Solution to Forest Fires: Remove the Forest

The Bush administration sent a legislative proposal to Congress on Sept. 5 that would allow increased commercial logging of old-growth trees in national forests, purportedly to reduce runaway forest fires that have plagued the West in recent years, even though such trees are not the source of the problem.

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EPA's Next Step in Data Quality

As part of its efforts to develop and implement Data Quality Guidelines, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced plans to develop “Assessment Factors” to assist the agency in evaluating the quality of information and data that it receives from external sources.

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Faith-Based Initiative Goes Political

The administration, along with the Republican Party, are increasingly looking at faith-based activities in political terms. A September 15 Washington Post story reported that White House Office on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives officials have appeared with Republican candidates in close races in six states and at a GOP sponsored meeting of religious groups in South Carolina that encouraged them to apply for federal funds.

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House to Vote on Bill Directing Privacy Assessments for New Rules

Within the next month, the House is expected to vote on a bill (H.R. 4561) -- sponsored by Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA) and cleared by the Judiciary Committee on Sept. 10 -- that directs federal agencies to conduct a “privacy impact analysis” for new regulations. This analysis is to describe:
  • the extent personally identifiable information is collected under a proposed or final rule, assuring participation by affected individuals in the rulemaking where the agency finds a “significant privacy impact”;
  • whether affected individuals can access this information;

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IRS Considers Modifications to Form 990

The IRS is considering revising Form 990 to increase public accountability through better disclosure. IRS Announcement 2002-87, released September 4th, seeks public comment on a variety of proposed changes to reporting on fundraising, transactions between PACs and their nonprofit affiliates, corporate ties and conflicts of interest and grants to foreign organizations. The announcement also lists recent changes made to Form 990 in the areas of fundraising and the inclusion of section 527 organizations as 990 filers. For a more detailed breakdown of the proposed changes, click here.

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Patents on Hypertext and Legal Challenges to Deep Linking

Nonprofits face an increasingly challenging online environment in which both the ability and the manner in which information from outside sources is linked across sites are open to legal dispute. Though currently waged in a mostly commercial context, the stakes and implications for what is available, by whom, and when raise questions around long-held practices and core technologies of the Web itself. Read more here.

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Nonprofit Sector Research Fund Announces 2002 Grants Competition

The Nonprofit Sector Research Fund, a program of the Aspen Institute, announces the availability of grants to support research on philanthropy and the nonprofit sector, including hospitals, universities, human service agencies, arts organizations, advocacy groups, and other tax-exempt entities. The Nonprofit Sector Research Fund encourages applications both from researchers currently engaged in the study of the nonprofit sector and also from scholars grounded in academic disciplines, who may be new to nonprofit research. Applications in the following areas are currently being sought:

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    CBO 10-Year Budget Update Shows $5.6 Trillion Surplus Now Only $1.0 Trillion

    The Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) annual "Budget and Economic Outlook: An Update," released on August 27, reports federal budget deficits through the end of 2005 and a relatively modest 10-year total surplus and has added more fodder to the debate in Washington over who’s to blame for the $5.4 trillion drop in the 10-year surplus forecast since January 2001.

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    Chemical Security Heats Up

    Sen. Jon Corzine’s (D-NJ) Signers of the letter included industry groups such as the American Chemistry Council, the American Petroleum Institute, the National Association of Manufacturers , the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Edison Electric Institute.

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