Stimulus Transparency Watchdog Won't Release Federal Contract Details

ProPublica:

Back in July, a software company named Smartronix landed an $18 million contract to build a Web site where taxpayers could easily track billions in federal stimulus money. It was just another part of the Obama administration's ongoing effort to bring transparency to stimulus spending, we were told.

But it seems the drive for transparency doesn't cover the contract itself.

Read the whole story: ProPublica

Comments

[nopilikia]

With all the "change" , its still more of the same.

[BurtonOerney]

This is an outrage! The only reason I voted for Obama was so I could see all of the details in government contracts for websites. I'm so disappointed.

[lj9283]

If you can't get ALL the details, how can the hackers bring the site down?

[jennylynn]

The polls say 29% approve BO performance. Is it possible to fall this fast?

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

[lj9283]

Rasmunssen has been publishing those same numbers since January 20th.

[Brezzydee]

People are taking the transparency to far. People are not going to get into everyone's business. That is just good business sense, and common sense. I don't blame them I would not put out every little thing either.
They don't have to. And it isn't a broken promise. They have the company, name address,phone how much was paid and to whom. That is all they need to know. Some of the gripes are sounding stupid now. Anything to create an article now a days.

[DAnnara]

Except "They" are spending yours/mine/our money and I darn well demand to know what I am being fleeced/sucked dry/lied to for.

[DontFeedTheBeast]

shoulda contracted hume to write the website - he can put out that amount of bs in 10 minutes, and surely for less than 18 mil.

[DAnnara]

Just when are you going to learn that Republican and Democrat are opposite sides of the same corroded coin? Try real change next time...throw ALL the bums out!

[AntiSheep13]

Exactly DA. I've been subscribing to that idea for a long time. All we have is two political gangs that remind me of a higher level of bloods and crips.

[republicanforlife]

Except the Bloods and Crips will tell you right up front their takin your money, politicians will slide under the door and steal from behind.

[grateful4thedead]

change we can believe in...lots of transparency...

i voted for obama, now i regret it. don't forget the WH visitor logs

[amfilmlvr]

This is no scandal, large portions of the contract are available for reading. It is quite common for firms to redact information about their personnel from FOIA requests, this is b/c competing firms poach talent. It is also common for proprietary information to be redacted otherwise competing firms will steal your business plan. The technical information is there intellectual property and should be protected. The general information and approach, and the pricing is readily available.

[toinfinityandbeyond]

Yeah right. Talent from the CIA as well as the NSA.

[lj9283]

And any of the hardware must conform to GSA pricing standards. The Hardware would not be listed due to (as you mentioned) proprietary information, intellectual property, and security issues.

[veritas2u]

Is becoming obvious that liberal blogs are now being targeted by those who came up with the town hall disruption strategy. Pessimism and reluctance to change seem to be an ingrained Republican trait!.

[lj9283]

You mean all of the "Grassroots" posters affiliated with Right Wing Firms like this:

http://advantageconsultants.org/index.html

[sandiegoconservative]

Wow. A guy who has a successful business. That's SCARY!

[ramal]

Obviously not "Change You can Believe In."

[mikeVA]

So what? Portions of the contracts are redacted. What would you get with FOIA or whatever? These contracts are there for people to see. Besides, we can prolly thank the laws of president cheney which gave him power to spy on americans while he filled his friends warchest. Funny to watch the neo-nothings complain after eight years of cheney-bush.

[gobarr]

Who are you trying to blame,thats a joke.Who's watch are we on this week?

[republicanforlife]

Not complaining, just laughing.

[PerryWhite]

Invisibility is similar in some ways to transparency.

[opine2u]

'I can see the transparency from my window.' Do you need a Russian translation?

[DAnnara]

Da!

[RomeoMD25]

According to politifact Obama's promises:

Compromised 11
Promise Broken? 7
Stalled 12

No change.

[lj9283]

Promises Kept 34
In the works 77

Guess you missed that, hey sparky.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

[ljc]

How disengenuous of you. Half truth, no link. You must be on of these.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtMV44yoXZ0

[mountainweb]

Change, the obama way! Clearly there is something to hide of they would not be trying to hide it......

[lj9283]

Yep, we don't have to worry about hackers breaking into government systems do we?

Just publish the architecture, the flow charts, the segment interaction, and all the hardware acquired for the system..

Then it would take about 30 seconds for the hackers to crash the whole system once it went live.