Senator Questions The Declassification Policies of America's National Intelligence Office (senate.gov) 28
America spent $16 billion on classifying documents last year, and Senator Wyden argues the process is now "too unwieldy to be truly secure... over-classification prevents effective information sharing between agencies." An anonymous Slashdot reader quotes the Senator's new announcement:
The Reducing Over-Classification Act of 2010 allows government agencies to pay cash awards to employees who accurately classify government documents consistently and avoid unnecessary over-classification of information that is not a threat to national security. In response to a Freedom of Information Act request by the EFF, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said it could not locate any records about the criteria for awarding those incentives.
"Congress included this provision...to reverse the culture of unnecessary classification, reduce the volume of classified documents, and better protect the secrets whose disclosure would truly threaten national security," Wyden wrote [in a new letter to National Intelligence]. "I am concerned that federal agencies with the power to classify and declassify documents may not be taking advantage of these payment awards, and I believe doing so could benefit our national security."
"Congress included this provision...to reverse the culture of unnecessary classification, reduce the volume of classified documents, and better protect the secrets whose disclosure would truly threaten national security," Wyden wrote [in a new letter to National Intelligence]. "I am concerned that federal agencies with the power to classify and declassify documents may not be taking advantage of these payment awards, and I believe doing so could benefit our national security."
Classification is used to cover bad actions (Score:2)
Yes, it's a waste of Tax payer money which should be addressed. While we are addressing it lets investigate and open all of the invalid classifications used to hide activity that the public may want. In addition, criminal actions should be prosecuted by ALL people exposed, and bad actors need to be removed from offices and positions. While the latter issue is allowed the former will never be addressed. It has become too convenient for politicians to hide, but we have also created a dual form of Justice
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:1)
Now they need to do a FOI request for how many people and how much money was given out to people who classified things correctly. Just having no criteria to judge it is no hindrance to give out money for doing it.
Re: (Score:2)
So in short, because someone asked why an incentive program isn't useful, you want a witch-hunt to kill off anything you don't like, without any consideration for context.
It just seems so obvious that running a bulldozer through an in-place operational government is the best way to improve efficiency and integrity.
Re: (Score:2)
However the existing programs that are in place have been altered to do exactly as the previous comments.
In other words, the weeds have overtaken the garden.
Re: (Score:2)
There are instances where bulldozing an area allows a clean start. I agree that somethings may end up in the refuse pile that shouldn't
However the existing programs that are in place have been altered to do exactly as the previous comments.
In other words, the weeds have overtaken the garden.
Kinda like how well the Arab Spring worked.
Re: (Score:2)
It just seems so obvious that running a bulldozer through an in-place operational government is the best way to improve efficiency and integrity.
That's been the Republican plan since, oh.... 2008
Re: (Score:2)
You know that both of those numbers; how much is spent, and how much is collected in tax revenues, are determined by Congress, not the President, right?
Except that it is a gov employee's job (Score:2)
The Reducing Over-Classification Act of 2010 allows government agencies to pay cash awards to employees who accurately classify government documents consistently and avoid unnecessary over-classification of information that is not a threat to national security.
This sounds suspiciously like the "Bribing Wally" Dilbert strips from earlier this week: 1 [dilbert.com] and 2 [dilbert.com].
I mean seriously a law that says "we will pay you more money to not break other laws and do the job you were hired to do" speaks volumes about how messed up the US government is. Why not try something different, perhaps? Like, when a law is broken or a policy violated then the individual or people responsible are held accountable and administrative or punitive measures are taken. Clinton c
Re: (Score:1)
it doesn't appear like anything will change meaningfully in any of our lifetimes.
I'm with you in the idea that it won't get meaningfully better in our lifetimes. However, it is quite possible (perhaps inevitable?) that things will meaningfully get worse.
Re: (Score:2)
The fact that the Democrats and Republicans are so hated this election cycle as well as main stream media being treated as nothing but propaganda, is a pretty solid indication change is happening, real change and the psychopathic scam artists at the top are losing and the panic is spreading. The off the top stupid waffle coming from the establishment, blaming the Russians and China and who next 'Anonymous', for the current election hot mess, of public blatant fraud and corruption on show, is pretty much pro
A way to make information "someone else's budget" (Score:2)
When everything is classified, nothing is (Score:3)
He said he'd look into it, nothing changed, when I left a few years later the menus were still considered company confidential.
Worried they aren't taking advantage of rewards? (Score:2)
I'm pretty sure that every penny of that reward money was claimed and given to someone, and since they don't have a criteria, it is impossible to track fraud. I bet anything it was spent just fine, but not on what it was intended for.
So now is is down to this ... (Score:2)
So it is down to paying government employees bribes [dilbert.com] to actually do the job they are hired to do ... Why not fine the ones that over classify the information instead ...
And such plans actually don't work. [hbr.org]
Interesting timing (Score:1)
The Obama admin has been in charge for 7+ years. During the first couple, the Democrats also held the House (by super-majority) and the Senate (by super-majority) and were able to pass ANYTHING without any Republican votes and the Republicans did not even have enough Senate seats for a fillibuster. The Democrats chose to ram-through Obamacars, a nearly 1 trillion dollar stimulus, an auto indusrty take-over, the take-over of all student loans, new banking regulations that have made the wall st banks even too