Washington 2.0: Citizenship 2.0?

"Over the last two years, the Obama campaign built another "Wikipedia" of citizenship."

This quote is from today's WashingtonPost feature by Danielle Allen.

There is a lot of discussion these days about how the Founding Fathers would feel about the way the country is being run. One thing is for sure...they would probably fit in better with the Obama camp. As Danielle writes: "But the Internet has eradicated barriers of geography, enabling much more effective factional organization than the Founders could have imagined." Did they imagine citizenship would reach this level of participation? Call it Wikipolitics, call it crowd sourcing, sharing, e-shouting, call if whatever you like. One thing is becoming clear, it is not just a passing phase with politicos.

Just the other day I got a note on the progress of the Grassroots Inaugural Ball that is being thrown in DC the night before the inauguration. I have to say I was impressed. It is no small task to raise at least $75K to rent out the Ronald Reagan Building Ballroom, throw a huge party and then head to camp out on the mall at the crack of dawn. These people are dedicated, and I applaud them. The only way we are going to keep this progress going is to stay involved and demand good governance.

As Danielle states, "Now, however, we are at a turning point. We've finally reached something of a left-right equilibrium in the dramatic restructuring of the public sphere that has been underway for the past decade. Against this background, on Nov. 4 the Obama campaign sent an e-mail to supporters from the president-elect signaling aspirations to convert the campaign's success with social networking technologies into a tool not merely for winning but for good governance."

Good governance comes with transparency, lessening the digital divide and rewarding involvement by the everyday citizen. Grassroots is a word that has been revived in our vocabularly. Let's keep it alive and well.

The Language of a Bill

Taken from the Auto Bailout Amendment to the Economic Emergency Stabilization Act.

This is going to be a short post.  Can anyone tell me the definition of "timely and aggressive production?" Not to mention the letter that Congress wrote to the CEOs of the three auto companies making them "promise." Promises? Really? Where is the accountability in that? What is the fallout of breaking a promise? Last I checked it wasn't something that people, not to mention CEOs took very seriously. For all we know these three CEOs break promises everyday. Although we didn't hear it in yesterday's testimony, perhaps they promised someone they would give up a jet or two.  Whoever is working as their public image consultant is probably out of job by now. Maybe they can jump on board this big bailout package too? I bet we would know the definition of timely and aggressive if it called for the compensation check disbursement of these CEOs pay. We demand more specifics. I want to know just how long it will take and how quickly we will see the energy efficient cars. I doubt we will get the answer anytime before these guys see their money. 

They're Leaving on a Jet Plane

To the 3 auto execs who descended upon the Capital with hat in hand...spare me with your lame testimonials...

1. Chrysler is not the quintessential American company - stop trying to tug on the patriotic purse strings of the Capitol.

2. Your are winning car and truck of the year regularly - you are also subsidizing schemes where you encourage Americans to buy SUVs and pay for their overpriced gas. Oh, and the "backseat did not just become the best seat"...it became the home for the homeless who lost to foreclosure.

3. You are NOT equal to or better than Toyota and Honda - that is just false. Mr. Ford would be ashamed of the lies.  

So, let me get this right, you three CEOs flew your own private jets to Washington to not only beg for our tax money but also test out your commercials on our Congress? I guess it seemed to work, because you took a few members down a bunny path where they felt it was important to tell the American people what car or van they drove. As Dana Milbank pointed out, it was like Car Talk came to Congress, only without the humor and Boston accents. 

Oh, and by the way, if you want to see a CEO squirm, ask if he or she is willing to work for $1 a year and fly commercial for the rest of their tenure at the table. 

This testimony was a slap in the face of hard-working Americans...on the plant or at a desk.  So, fly back home, have your turkey next week and think long and hard about about your private jets when you are asked what you are thankful for this year. Then, after you have your pumpkin pie, read this bill, again. Got change?

Washington 2.0 - Should Obama Follow Fenty?

...and keep the Blackberry? According to the NYTimes, he may not have a choice due to national security requirements for the Oval Office. According to Jonathan Alter at Newsweek, President-Elect Obama must stay engaged and wired to a variety of opinions via a smartphone or laptop in his new office. According to the popular argument, no President should have an e-mail account, because it can be hacked. Wait a minute, won't the new Technology Czar/CTO take care of that network security concern? That could be a first pass for CTO candidates - provide a plan whereby President-Elect Obama could keep an e-mail account while in the Oval Office. I guess it is a minor win that he will have a desktop computer in his new office on Pennsylvania Avenue. Any bets on whether or not it is a Mac?

Washington 2.0: CTO or Tech Czar?

There seems to be a lot of buzz about the new position for the federal government - the Chief Technology Officer (CTO). The WashingtonPost wrote recently that the CTO would use technology to make the government work better. Having experienced several technology implementations in the public sector, I anticipate this will be somewhat of a challenge for the new CTO.

A top priority should be mitigating the redundancies in the government and expediting the processes that typically take forever - job applications, security clearances, contract awards, etc. Every time I see the Adobe LiveCycle ads on the metro, I can't help but think of how automated work flow and ad hoc routing of common citizen forms would reduce paper and increase turnaround times. There are a lot of ideas being floated out there on what the CTO should pay attention to first. Check out ObamaCTO.org to join in on the buzz.

The Wall Street Journal takes a guess at who is in the running for the Technology Czar job.

I think it would be a mistake to limit the search to those that founded or work in information technology firms. As many comments have stated, other educators, professors, scientists, ambassadors could be great picks as well. The last thing you want is someone at the wheel who suffers from technology somnambulism.

Till next time.

Good Morning Washington

Yesterday, I posted an idea for the transition team on Environment & Energy Policy. Why not submit your own?

Washington 2.0 : Worth a Read

NYTimes: Go East, Young Techie
"...hopes the migration will change so that instead of building Facebook applications, engineers “will go to D.C. and try to make a difference.”

Grow Your Wiki: Is Washington, D.C. the Next Major Technology Mecca?

Do you think so? Let us know your thoughts.

Washington 2.0: Point/Counterpoint

Following my last blog entry, I was sent this article from Slate.com that provides a counterpoint to some of my thoughts on technology, transition and transparency in the new political arena. While I may not agree with the author's views and understanding of tools for transparency, I welcome the discussion. In fact, I welcome your discussions. Where do you stand on the issue of transparency and video versus radio addresses? Before signing off, I will just leave you with another applause-worthy effort at transparency - a series titled "Inside the Transition" brings us to the table where these discussion are taking place. So, Mr. Dickerson, I am not sure what you consider "actual information," as you call out in your article, but I encourage you to watch and listen:

 

Washington 2.0: From Franklin's Fireside to Barack's YouTube

It has been a busy week of developments in Washington 2.0. As more discussions on the Transparent Presidency emerge on the blogosphere and in the mainstream media, a lot of attention is being paid to how President-Elect Obama will bring about the New New Deal. One way he has already trailblazed is by delivering his weekly address to the nation via his YouTube Channel. And this is before he has even taken the oath of office. Yes, we only have one President at a time, but that does not mean we cannot hear the evolving thoughts and plans of the soon to be Commander in Chief. This reassures citizens that the President-Elect has his eye on the ball day-to-day and week-to-week. 

Sure, the idea of sitting down at the end of the day to cozy up to your laptop, warmed by the glow of an LED screen, to listen to the voice of your Commander in Chief may seem a bit of a stretch. But what the Golden Age of Radio did for FDR, the Web 2.0 age of the Internet can do for Obama. What is even more powerful about this model of citizen communication, is that we have the ability to listen on demand. So your office network blocks YouTube, simply download the podcast via iTunes and watch it on your way into work on the metro the next morning. Or better yet, log on to Change.gov to watch the address or read the transcript. And of course, you could always hear it on the radio, for all those talk-radio traditionalists, like me. Till next time. I am off to watch the address again.   

Washington 2.0: Commander in Connectedness?

The discussion around President-Elect Obama's online army of followers/volunteers, now called the information infantry, continues over at DailyBeast. After reading the debate on the big fat story feature, I wonder if people be deployable within hours of receiving an e-call to action from the the 44th President of the United States. I am willing to bet those who have a desire to stay involved and "make a difference" will jump to the occasion. There are new concerns that the President-Elect may choose to hand over the list of 3 plus million names to the DNC or similar political action groups. Will this be viewed as disloyal? I have faith that we are not viewed as a list or a hand off. I for one want to continue hearing the language of a "transparent and connected White House," one that recognizes and uses the power of social networks and collaborative technologies to solve problems. There are several sites popping up that are calling for a change to how we understand, oversee and interact with Congress, like Open Congress and Change Congress. For thoughts on this issue, take a look at the open letter to the President-Elect from the Sunshine Foundation. What are your thoughts on the issue of connectedness to the soon-to-be Commander in Chief?

UPDATE: Read this NYTimes Article that talks about a wirleless (and I don't mean in a good way) White House. Would they seriously prevent the President-Elect from having a blackberry or even a laptop in the Oval Office? I don't see him agreeing to that. If technology got him where he is today, there is no way he is going to go back to Politics 1.0 - right?

Oh, and one last question: Are you still connected? Stay tuned for more updates on how we continue to use my.barackobama.com to pay it forward, even after the election.

Washington 2.0 Series - Can We Revolutionize Governance?

I have been feverishly following the discussions coming out of Washington surrounding President-Elect Obama's desire to use technology to benefit the citizen under his new administration.

We hear talk about making government more transparent and more connected. How will this work exactly? Will it give us a Web 2.0 bulletin board of sorts to convey our thoughts and concerns on governance issues?


The President-Elect stated that he will put government data online and make it available in universal formats. Does that mean .pdf files or open source software?

Will citizens now be invited to the virtual table to discuss dollars spent and programs pending?

One of the concerns surrounding to this idea is accessibility and availability of broadband throughout the nation. With recent discussions and developments around freeing up the spectrum previously occupied by analog TV signals, I wonder if we will see more smart phones introduced as tools to stay in touch. We in Washington benefit from the Dulles Corridor effect not to mention the power of the blackberry on the Hill. Are the days of a staffer sending canned responses in letter form to constituents long gone? Are you required to have a .com to hear back from a .gov? What will this mean for the .org who wants to get their issue in front of a Representative? Will government representatives work to develop iPhone apps tailored to deliver updates directly to their constituents?

We were all amazed at the grassroots movement brought about through the simplicity of Web 2.0 technology, but what does this mean for all those with profiles on my.barackobama.com? Will the White House utilize Change.gov to capture the passion and participation of these netizens? What will become of all the Facebook groups and pages?

I personally think that any social network or communication channel where people can continue the discussion and stay involved is a good thing. Education on issues was my biggest battle cry during this election. I am proud of the participation levels in this city and other states, but I think we could still work on getting people educated on what they are voting on. How many people actually read the propositions in California and all that was behind them? It scares me to think that people went into the ballot box with limited knowledge of local candidates and amendments, propositions and stances. My goal in using Facebook's share feature was to educate my friends and family on issues during this election. Was it persuasive? I may never know. It did however, always keep people involved in the discussion.

The question remains how the President-Elect and his team will harness the energy of millions who utilized the social networks to stay engaged. As Howard Dean stated, "He changed all the rules." What do you do with 10 million names and contacts collected during the campaign? Do these people become your ground troops to propagate your message as you move through your first term? These communication vehicles through Change.gov, MyBo and Facebook can circumvent the media and skip the spin.

This may deflate the No-Spin Zone appeal of cable news personalities who make their living on delivering information in their own way. Sorry Keith Olbermann and Bill O'Reilly, but would that be such a bad thing? When the digital generation receives updates or messages from candidates, they can quickly Google, Wikipedia and Facebook the issues to find out all sides of the story. Then, they will make an educated and informed decision and post their decision on their Facebook status. Viral knowledge sharing is a good thing for governance issues.

So, can we revolutionize governance via Web 2.0? Can we continue to create virtual movements whereby we self-organize from the comfort of our own keyboard? Can our Facebook status messages be used as a collective outcry against policy? Does crowd sourcing and knowledge sharing play a role in the new government? As Ms. Palin would say..."You betcha." I would challenge the government to look to models put forth by companies like IBM, who holds annual "jams" where hundreds of thousands of employees and clients share ideas and thoughts around themes of innovation to solve world problems and close the change gap.

Maybe the President-Elect will work to institute something similar whereby technology allows us all to be actively involved in a government that is once again of the people, by the people and for the people...thank you President Lincoln for those wonderful words. If you could only see us now. YES WE CAN!

A Timely Quote at the End of a Novel...

Today, I finished reading Gregory Maguire's Son of a Witch - part two of the Wicked Trilogy. The novel ends with a great quote by Thomas Jefferson. I found it timely considering this past week' historic events.

"A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true spirit, restore their government to its true principles." - Thomas Jefferson, 1798.

I think Thomas would be proud. YES WE CAN.

Welcoming Washington 2.0

"Leadership, tone, and vision...that all starts at the top."

-Valerie Jarrett, Co-Chair, Obama Transition Team

This week has been incredibly busy for Washington. While pundits and media moguls scramble to predict the next line of leadership to waltz into Washington this January, I am anxiously awaiting an overdue upgrade. As the nation came together declaring change in the way we run this country and demonstrating hope is more than a movement, we ushered in what I call Washington 2.0.

Stay tuned to this blog where I will report on the upgrade that is coming to this town. YES WE CAN!

Are We in for a Shakeup?

According to the WashingtonPost today, "the federal government may be headed for a major shakeup, including the reassignment of many middle-managers, a sharp reduction in the number of outside contracts, and new performance standards for workers."

As cited in Barack Obama's plans for Washington, a lot of change is heading our way. A lot of it is for the better. I encourage others to read among the pages of the Blueprint for Change:

• Obama and Biden will create a centralized Internet database of lobbying reports, ethics records, and campaign finance filings in a searchable, sortable and downloadable format.
  
• Obama will use the power of the presidency to fight for an independent watchdog agency to oversee the investigation of congressional ethics violations so that the public can be assured that ethics complaints will be investigated.
• Sunlight before Signing: Too often bills are rushed through Congress and to the president before the public has the opportunity to review them. As president, Obama will not sign any non-emergency bill without giving
  the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days.
• Obama’s Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act will shed light on all earmarks by disclosing the name of the legislator who asked for each earmark, along with a written justification, 72 hours before they can be approved by the full Senate.
• No political appointees in an Obama-Biden administration will be permitted to work on regulations or contracts directly and substantially related to their prior employer for two years. And no political appointee will be able to lobby the executive branch after leaving government service during the remainder of the administration.
• In an Obama-Biden administration,every official will have to rise to the standard of proven excellence in the agency’s mission.
• Implement Consequences for Success and Failure: Obama will create tools to improve agency performance like sending in performance teams to reform programs; replacing existing management; demanding improvement action plans; and cutting program budgets or eliminating programs entirely.
  Move Workers from Bloated Bureaucracies to the Frontlines: Obama will thin the ranks of Washington middle managers, freeing up resources both for deficit reduction and for increasing the number of frontline workers.
• Google for Government- Americans have the right to know how their tax dollars are spent, but that information has been hidden from public view for too long. That’s why Barack Obama and Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) passed a law to create a Google-like search engine to allow regular people to track federal grants, contracts, earmarks, and loans online. The Chicago Sun-Times wrote, “It would enable the public to see where federal money goes and how it is spent. It’s a brilliant idea.”

What are your thoughts on how this will change Washington? Will it dramatically cut jobs or create new ones? Will government contractors be worried for job security? Will a new generation of innovation be brought to the Capital City? Post your comments and thoughts here. Hopefully, we can start on ongoing discussion.

Where Were You When...

I would love to hear from you DC - where were you when you heard the news? Were you one of the hundreds dancing outside the White House? Were you at a party on Capitol Hill? Were you working late in your K Street office? As I heard the cheers and car horns go down Wisconsin Avenue, I couldn't help but wonder - will this be one of those defining moments when we ask each other, "Where were you when you heard Obama won the presidency?" Today is a new day. YES WE CAN!

A Compliment for the Capital City

Today was a historic day in the District. I began my day around 6:00 AM heading out to the polls to cast my vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. I was so excited to see a line around the block when I got to the Murch School. I was in line at 6:30 and waited anxiously as they opened the polls at 7:00 AM. I met a single mom in line who moved here from New York City. I enjoyed talking with her about the feeling we both shared - this was a memorable moment in our lives and in our city.

As people rounded the corner to see the long lines they cheered. They never sighed. I heard exclamations of "Wow, this is incredible! How cool is this?" I also saw tons of buttons and stickers for Barack Obama. I snapped a few pictures which I will include in this post at a later date.

As I left the polling station, I stopped and looked back and had to smile. My city, my capital city made me proud this morning - job well done DC! Thank you for turning out in masses and making me wait in line. On any other day this would be a capital complaint, but today - you get a compliment. Bravo!