In This Issue Federal Budget Surplus   Sign-On to Invest in America Letter   The Budget Picture This Year    Increasing Income Disparity   Agencies' E-FOIA Implementation   World Wide Washington?   Whither NTIS?   The ALA takes on software manufacturers   Regulatory 'Reform' Efforts   Regulatory Costs and Benefits   What's Your Environmental IQ?   Enviro-RTK   SNAP: Research on nonprofit advocacy   Tech Help: Planning A Meeting   Notes and Sidebars   Welcome to Our First Issue! Welcome to OMB Watcher Online, a twice-monthly online newsletter designed to inform you about the work of our organization and issues of interest to nonprofits. We invite you to peruse the contents and if you like what you see, please subscribe. It is free, but we encourage you to make a contribution of $35 or more. If you would like more information about our organization, please visit the OMB Watch web site. We welcome submissions or story ideas, and would appreciate any feedback on this newsletter. Back to Top Federal Budget Surpluses Grow On January 25, 2000, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued its budget outlook for the next ten years. Estimates of the federal budget surplus over the the next decade are even greater than those predicted by CBO just six months ago. CBO made three estimates of the surplus based on different assumptions. The graph below shows the extent of the surplus if discretionary spending grows at the rate of inflation from the amount already appropriated in the Fiscal Year 2000 budget. This the lowest estimate of future surpluses. It reveals that, over ten years, the total surplus will be over $3 trillion and the non-Social Security surplus will be just under $1 trillion. The other two estimates 1) freeze discretionary spending at the FY2000 level, with no increase for inflation, and, 2) stay within the actual budget caps through FY2002, with growth after that at the rate of inflation. Those assumptions would result in a nearly $2 trillion non-Social Security surplus over ten years, and a whopping $4 trillion plus total surplus. With such large budget surpluses, now is the time to acknowledge the human and social deficit that has resulted from years of diminished domestic spending and address the unmet needs that exist in the United States, in education, the environment, and equity. Investments in the nation will guarantee a stronger economy, a sound Social Security system, a healthy civil society, stronger families, and a thriving nation. The right domestic investments will bring long-term postive results. With this forecast of ever-increasing budget surpluses, now is the time to make those investments. Back to Top Now is the Time to Invest in America! Don't you think it is time to tell the President and congressional leadership to put resources where they are needed? Join hundreds of others and sign-on to a letter that says it's time to invest in America. The letter incorporates findings from focus groups conducted in December 1999 which showed strong public support for increasing domestic investment in our nation's education, environment, and opportunities for all Americans to share in our national prosperity. The letter will initially be released on February 2, so sign-on now.The letter is part of an Invest in America campaign. Back to Top The Budget Picture This Year: Inaction Means America Loses For over twenty years, federal policy has been guided by the federal deficit. Important public investments have been deferred because of fiscal austerity designed to reduce the deficit. This deficit-reducing mindset has resulted in a decline of federal spending on public investment by more than one-third since the late 1970's, with an estimated decrease of another 35% over the next ten years if we continue with the same constraints, according to the Economic Policy Institute. According to the President's own budget of last year, we can expect domestic discretionary spending to decline to only 2.9% of GDP in Fiscal Year 2004 (compared to 4.9% in 1978). This is the lowest percentage of GDP in more than thirty years. Decreased federal spending on domestic investments—in education, the environment, and other human and structural needs—has resulted in a human and social deficit that threatens our future. Now that there are growing surpluses and overall economic prosperity in this country, we have the opportunity to make the public investments in the future that we have delayed for too long. The President's budget, expected to be released on February 7, is likely to raise or even eliminate the outdated budget caps, or limits, that were imposed in 1997. This should be good news for those who believe that we have delayed important public investments for far too long, but that outcome is far from guaranteed. It is anticipated that a significant portion of the budget surpluses for the next ten years will be put in an unnecessary Social Security "lockbox." For the coming year, the fight will be over priorities for spending the non-Social Security surplus. The Republicans are likely to propose large tax cuts that mirror presidential candidate Gov. Bush's proposal. The Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert (R-IL), is recommending that the balance of the surplus be used to reduce the federal debt (the accumulation of past budget deficits). The President will probably use the lifting of the budget caps to propose small increases in areas like health care, education and the environment, but, like many Democrats, will also be supportive of reducing the federal debt. In all likelihood, there will be a stalemate on a big tax cut—although there may well be a small tax cut that the President will find acceptable. There will also likely be a stalemate on spending, even on the President's small investments. By default, this inaction will mean that most of the surplus will be used to reduce the debt. This will make conservatives happy, but is a negative result for those who believe that the surplus is a resource to make needed and long-overdue social investments in this nation's future. Wise domestic investments are the best way to insure the productivity and well-being of all citizens, continued economic growth, and a promising future for America's children. It is important to claim these budget surpluses for these important investments, otherwise they will be gone. OMB Watch's budget webpage will provide regular updates on federal budget activities as the year progresses. Back to Top Income Disparity in the U.S. is Increasing In spite of overall financial prosperity in the United States, many Americans are being left behind. Inequality is, by many accounts, increasing. According to data from the Congressional Budget Office, the after-tax income gap between Americans with the highest incomes and other Americans has widened dramatically since 1977 and is projected in 1999 to reach the widest gap in recent decades. Astonishingly, the 2.7 million Americans with the highest incomes will have as much after tax income as the 100 million Americans with the lowest incomes. Wealth is even more concentrated, with the wealthiest one percent of households owning nearly 40 percent of the nation's wealth in 1995 and the bottom 80 percent of households owning just 16 percent of the nation's wealth, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. In addition to the increasing gap between rich and poor, The Washington Post recently reported, based on data from the Federal Reserve, that while most everyone is benefiting at least somewhat from the good economy, the very poor are actually getting poorer. Families earning below $10,000 a year actually saw their wealth decline by 14% between 1995 and 1998. With the federal budget showing surpluses for years to come, there is no excuse for not addressing the serious unmet human needs in the United States today. Back to Top Agencies Fall Short on E-FOIA Requirements More than three years after the enactment of the Electronic Freedom of Information Act (E-FOIA), government agencies have yet to comply fully with its requirements. A new report from OMB Watch, "A People Armed?", examines the federal government's attempt to address lack of meaningful access to government information via electronic means, and finds uneven implementation across government agencies. The FOIA is a powerful tool in holding government accountable and meeting the public's right-to-know. The E-FOIA was an important step in bringing FOIA into the Internet age. Yet, agencies have not made this a priority. Until they do, the full promise of the digital age to increase governmental transparency and accountability will not be realized. To find out more about access to government information and government accountability, visit our Information Policy page. Back to Top World Wide Washington? Is your favorite Fed feeding you more information online? If so, it may be because the White House is pushing for e-government and has prodded federal agencies to get public information that agencies hold into the hands of the public. From promoting pollution reduction to helping the disabled utilize telecommuting to strengthening civil society, the President issued two memos directing agencies to find ways to better utilize the Internet to improve citizens' lives. The memos have been criticized by advocates as too little, too late. Also, most of the items in them are already underway, if not completed. So is this just tooting their own horn? Only time will tell. There are, however, some new provisions. For example, one memo requires the creation of a portal to government information, which would make it easier for the public to get access to its government. This would be an important contribution. So, are you feeling the effects? Do you see any changes? Check out the memos, see what's called for, and then let us know whether they are working. Back to Top Whither NTIS? Is Commerce Planning to Just Let It Wither? In August 1999, the Department of Commerce announced a decision to close the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), an agency under its jurisdiction. Subsequently, Commerce developed a legislative proposal to transfer the holdings maintained by NTIS—a significant source of scientific and technical information, much of which was created or funded by the federal government—to the Library of Congress. During 1999, Commerce has been engaged in aggressively downsizing the workforce of NTIS—among other cost-cutting measures. These issues dominated a meeting convened January 19, 2000 by the National Commission of Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS), which sought to address how to preserve the functions of NTIS in the interim of Commerce's decision to close and a decision as to where those functions should reside. Conscious understaffing and underfunding of the NTIS create the very real possibility that information will not be acquired, digitized, catalogued, indexed, or abstracted. Indeed, this is already occurring. The questions raised by Commerce's decision highlight ubiquitous information access problems across the federal government. For more information on the NCLIS meeting or about NTIS, contact Patrice McDermott at patricem@ombwatch.org. Back to Top Was Anyone Feeling Sorry for Software Manufacturers? Think you can go to your library and use a software program it owns, or view a publication online? Think again. Software producers and online publishers are working to limit the availability of information that we all take for granted in libraries. A coalition of librarians and consumer advocacy organizations have joined legal scholars and businesses in sounding the alarm on a proposed uniform software licensing law to be considered by state legislatures. The Digital Future Coalition, a coalition of assorted library, education and publishing organizations argues that the proposed law—known as the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) or UCC2B, for the Uniform Commercial Code Section 2B that would be replaced by UCITA—opens the door to copyright restrictions on a wide variety of digital documents, strengthens the software industry's ability to unilaterally impose restrictions on the use of software products, and hampers innovation by preventing developers' efforts to ensure interoperability between software programs. For more information, see the American Library Association web site. Back to Top Regulatory 'Reform'—Expect More of the Same With Congress just back from winter break, Rep. David McIntosh (R-IN) and his staff are already laying the groundwork to move a bill (H.R. 2376) that encourages sweeping waivers of federal requirements for state governments. This legislation is only one of of many familiar bills that the public interest community will have to grapple with over the coming months. HREF="/article/articleview/578/1/4/">Comprehensive regulatory "reform" (S. 746), HREF="/article/articleview/570/1/4/">federalism legislation, and HREF="/article/articleview/571/1/4/">regulatory accounting (cumulative cost-benefit analysis) continue to be high priorities for regulatory reformers. Back to Top OMB Finds Uncertainty in Totaling Regulatory Costs & Benefits The Office of Management and Budget recently issued a draft of its third report on the cumulative costs and benefits of federal regulation, as mandated by an appropriations rider. As it did last year, OMB provides its estimates in ranges—$84 billion to $140 billion in annual costs and $56 billion to $1.51 trillion in annual benefits—to underscore the inherent uncertainty of such an undertaking. Indeed, once again, much of the report is spent explaining its incredible limitations. Hopefully, lawmakers will pay attention this time, and quit pursuing regulatory accounting legislation. Comments are being accepted until February 21, 2000. Back to Top Do You Know the Leading Cause of Water Pollution? Recent survey findings from The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation and HREF="http://www.roper.com/">Roper Starch Worldwide, provide mixed blessings regarding the attitudes, knowledge, and behavior of Americans with respect to environmental issues. The survey, "Environmental Readiness for the 21st Century," found that few people are knowledgeable about the environmental problems that will dominate our society in the coming years. Yet, the survey also showed pronounced attitudes regarding environmental regulations. Of those surveyed, 75% said that environmental regulations had not gone too far, while almost half (47%) said environmental regulations had not gone far enough. The survey also found that public support for environmental policy tends to rise as the public gains increased knowledge of environmental issues. It underscores the need for education and outreach efforts to encourage people of the importance of their individual and collective actions in saving the environment. To test your own "environmental IQ", order a copy of the report by visiting http://www.neetf.org/ Back to Top Enviro RTK: What the Government Knows Can Hurt You ... Will You Know? Are you at risk from chemical accidents like the one that left thousands dead in Bhopal, India and smaller ones that kill an average of 256 people a year in the United States? The government knows. But it probably won't tell you. The Office of Management and Budget will decide whether the public will get information about risks posed by chemical plants in communities across the nation. Chemical companies argued that making such information public will increase terrorist attacks on their facilities. Congress told the President to study the issue. EPA and the Justice Department are assessing the benefits derived from public disclosure and any risks; their reports will be the basis of OMB's decision. Back to Top It's a SNAP To Be An Advocate! Why do some nonprofits engage in advocacy and others don't? What can we do to get more nonprofits involved in public policy? These are the types of questions the Strengthening Nonprofit Advocacy Project (SNAP) will answer. The project, which will run through the middle of 2000, will use surveys, interviews, and focus groups to investigate and analyze factors that facilitate or deter charities from engaging in the public policy process through lobbying, voter education, and many other forms of participation. The research, which is being conducted by OMB Watch and the Lincoln Filene Center for Citizenship and Public Affairs at Tufts University, with assistance from Charity Lobbying in the Public Interest, will result in specific strategies for getting nonprofits more involved in public policy. For more info, contact Heather Hamilton at OMB Watch at hbhamilton@ombwatch.org or (202) 234-8494. Back to Top Tech Help What good is an event if no one remembers to show up? Now you can use the Internet to help you create, organize, and manage your events and meetings to ensure less headaches, better attendance, and greater preparation time. Of the current crop of online services, Evite stands out for its flexibility in allowing particpants to pick meeting dates that work best for them, RSVP management and tracking, and providing a degree of customized event management functions. Other useful sites to help you plan and schedule an event include: Event411- Manage event schedules and to do lists online; SeeUThere- Provides a variety of registration and meeting planning options; Senada- Publicize and manage your invitations online; ThePlunge- Build a free website for your event; Timedance- Plan your activity or meeting online. Because all of the above services utilize the Web, you can plan your event from any machine at your office or even at home! Though free for basic meeting planning functions, each service features banner advertisements and will require you to store information about your event on a server outside of your office. Want to know more about how Internet technology can help your nonprofit be more effective in public policy? Join NPTalk, the listserv for nonprofits using technology in their policy work. To find out how to subscribe, click here. Back to Top Notes and Sidebars See how other nonprofits are creatively utilizing technology... Check out the Nonprofits' Policy & Technology Project Innovation Awards and Pilot Project Grants Two reports commemorating the 15th anniversary of the world's worst chemical accident highlight the dangers of potential chemical accidents in the U.S. U.S. PIRG and the Working Group on Community Right-To-Know explore the risk of large- scale chemical accidents in the United States on their webpage. Sanford Lewis from Strategic Counsel on Corporate Accountability, along with authors from a coalition of organizations, underscores risks posed by the chemical industry from a human rights perspective on their website. The Right-To-Know is not just an American issue. On February 6-11 in Oxford, England there will be an international right-to-know seminar organized by the British Council and ARTICLE 19. Among the issues: How does the UK's freedom of information policy measure up? Should the Internet be regulated? Can official secrets be justified in the name of security? Speakers include journalists, lawyers, human rights activists, professors and authors. For more information, visit the ARTICLE 19 website. Montreal is home to a meeting this week to discuss a Biosafety Protocol. Delegates from 140 countries will meet to discuss regulating trade in genetically modified food to avoid harm to health or the environment. See the new surplus figures by the Congressional Budget Office President Clinton will submit his FY2001 budget request to Congress on Monday, February 7. Some of the activists that protested the WTO meeting in Seattle are planning events for an meeting of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank scheduled for April. The House Subcommittee on National Economic Growth, Natural Resources and Regulatory Affairs, chaired by Rep. David McIntosh (R-IN), plans hearings very soon on agency "guidance"—agency interpretation of regulations. McIntosh's interest follows on the heels of OSHA's guidance on telecommuting workers which created enormous criticism and was withdrawn within 48 hours of being issued. According to a McIntosh staffer, guidance from agencies "is confusing to the regulated public." The committee has been collecting examples of guidance that agencies publish. According to The Washington Post, one agency, OSHA, spent $23,600 for "a contractor to gather and organize documents" to comply with the committee request. Get.ORGanized 2000 is an Internet business plan competition for nonprofits, sponsored by Cambridge Incubator. The winner will receive a donation of $250,000 in cash and services towards the creation of the start-up business. Visit their website for details. Deadline: February 29, 2000. The Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) is a federal grant program that works to bring the benefits of advanced national information infrastructure to communities throughout the United States by demonstrating practical applications of new telecommunications and information technologies to serve the public interest. Approximately $12.5 million will be available for grants this year. Visit their website for more information. Deadline: March 16, 2000.