simuvac
09-04-2007, 04:49 PM
The Secrecy Report Card
http://www.openthegovernment.org/otg/SRC2007.pdf
CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS
• Classification activity still remains significantly higher than before 2001.
In 2006, the number of original classification decisions decreased to 231,995, down from 258,633 in 2005. This is the second year in a row that the number of original classification decisions has dropped , but numbers remain significantly higher than before 2001.
• $185 Spent Creating & Securing Old Secrets for Every Tax Dollar Spent Declassifying
For every one dollar the government spent declassifying documents in 2006, the government spent $185 maintaining the secrets already on the books, a $51 increase from last year. Although more pages were declassified this year, the total publicly reported amount spent on declassification decreased. The intelligence agencies, which account for a large segment of the declassification numbers, are excluded from the total reported figures.
• 18% of DOD FY 2007 Acquisition Budget Is Classified or “Black”
“Black” programs accounted for 18 percent of the (FY) 2007 Department of Defense (DOD) acquisition funding of $31.5 billion, requested in 2006. Classified acquisition funding has more than doubled in real terms since FY 1995.
NON-COMPETED FEDERAL CONTRACTS
• More than 25% of all awards are not competed at all.
The public has a right to know how the government is spending the public’s money in order to ensure accountability and rout out corruption. In 2006, 25.9 percent ($107.5 billion) of federal contracts dollars were completely uncompleted; only one-third of contracts dollars are were subject to full and open competition. On average since 2000, more than one-quarter of all contract funding was not competed.
“STATE SECRETS” PRIVILEGE
• Reported Invocations Continue to Rise
The “state secrets” privilege allows the sitting U.S. president to nearly unilaterally withhold documents from the courts, Congress and the public. At the height of the Cold War, the administration used the privilege only 6 times between 1953 and 1976. Since 2001, it has been used a reported 39 times—an average of 6 times per year in 6.5 years that is more than double the average (2.46) in the previous 24 years.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
• FOIA Requests Continue to Rise; Backlogs Problems Persist
The total number of FOIA requests received in 2006 is 21,412,736, an increase of 1,462,189 over last year. Agency backlogs are significant; the oldest FOIA request in the federal government has now been pending for more than 20 years.
WHISTLEBLOWERS
• Whistleblowers Recover Billions for Taxpayers
Over the last two decades, whistleblowers helped the federal government recover over $18 billion according to the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Justice. In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, the United States obtained over $3.1 billion in settlements and judgments.
SECRECY REPORT CARD 2007 •
PRIVATE ENTERPRISE
• 108 New Patents Kept Secret, 4,942 “Secrecy Orders” in Effect
In 2006, the federal government closed the lid on 108 patents. Overall, that brings the total number of inventions kept under “secrecy orders” to 4,942.
NATIONAL SECURITY LETTERS
• 143,074 National Security Letter Requests Made 2003-2005
A Justice Department Office of the Inspector General report on secret wiretap warrants indicated that the government made 143,074 National Security Letter requests in the period 2003-2005. The number for 2006 remains classified. These letters can be used to obtain information about individuals without the government applying for a court-reviewed warrant.
THE COURTS
• 2,176 Orders of the Secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
While the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court does not reveal much about its activities, the Department of Justice reported that the FISC approved 2,176 orders — rejecting one — in 2006. The DOJ does not identify the activities being investigated or provide basic information about how the orders are used.
PRESIDENTIAL SIGNING STATEMENTS
• 151 Signing Statements Challenging About 1149 Federal Laws in George W. Bush’s Presidency
In six years, President Bush has issued at least 151 signing statements, challenging 1149 provisions of laws. In the 211 years of our Republic to 2000, fewer than 600 signing statements that took issue with the bills were issued.
ASSERTIONS OF EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE
• President Bush surpassed only by Nixon and Clinton among Presidents since Kennedy
President G.W. Bush has asserted Executive Privilege 3 times in response to congressional requests, as of June 28, 2007. He is surpassed, so far, only by Nixon and Clinton among presidents back to Kennedy.
STATE LAWS
• Limitations on Access Flourish in Statehouses
Since 2001, states have continued to introduce and enact new laws that limit, rather than loosen, access to government information at the state and local level. In that period, some 339 bills were introduced in the states and 266 passed the respective legislatures. The largest number of bills introduced (114) had to do with expanded executive powers, confidentiality based on federal regulations or programs, and closure of otherwise public meetings for security meetings. Fewer than half (52) passed; the lowest percentage of passage among 6 categories of bills.
PSEUDO-CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
• 81% of “Sensitive But Unclassified” (SBU) type markings just made up by agencies
About 81% of 107 SBU markings reviewed by the ISE Program Office are based on Department and agency policies (in other words, made up by the agencies as they go along); the remainder of the markings derive their authority from formally promulgated regulations, about half with comment and half without.
http://www.openthegovernment.org/otg/SRC2007.pdf
CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS
• Classification activity still remains significantly higher than before 2001.
In 2006, the number of original classification decisions decreased to 231,995, down from 258,633 in 2005. This is the second year in a row that the number of original classification decisions has dropped , but numbers remain significantly higher than before 2001.
• $185 Spent Creating & Securing Old Secrets for Every Tax Dollar Spent Declassifying
For every one dollar the government spent declassifying documents in 2006, the government spent $185 maintaining the secrets already on the books, a $51 increase from last year. Although more pages were declassified this year, the total publicly reported amount spent on declassification decreased. The intelligence agencies, which account for a large segment of the declassification numbers, are excluded from the total reported figures.
• 18% of DOD FY 2007 Acquisition Budget Is Classified or “Black”
“Black” programs accounted for 18 percent of the (FY) 2007 Department of Defense (DOD) acquisition funding of $31.5 billion, requested in 2006. Classified acquisition funding has more than doubled in real terms since FY 1995.
NON-COMPETED FEDERAL CONTRACTS
• More than 25% of all awards are not competed at all.
The public has a right to know how the government is spending the public’s money in order to ensure accountability and rout out corruption. In 2006, 25.9 percent ($107.5 billion) of federal contracts dollars were completely uncompleted; only one-third of contracts dollars are were subject to full and open competition. On average since 2000, more than one-quarter of all contract funding was not competed.
“STATE SECRETS” PRIVILEGE
• Reported Invocations Continue to Rise
The “state secrets” privilege allows the sitting U.S. president to nearly unilaterally withhold documents from the courts, Congress and the public. At the height of the Cold War, the administration used the privilege only 6 times between 1953 and 1976. Since 2001, it has been used a reported 39 times—an average of 6 times per year in 6.5 years that is more than double the average (2.46) in the previous 24 years.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
• FOIA Requests Continue to Rise; Backlogs Problems Persist
The total number of FOIA requests received in 2006 is 21,412,736, an increase of 1,462,189 over last year. Agency backlogs are significant; the oldest FOIA request in the federal government has now been pending for more than 20 years.
WHISTLEBLOWERS
• Whistleblowers Recover Billions for Taxpayers
Over the last two decades, whistleblowers helped the federal government recover over $18 billion according to the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Justice. In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, the United States obtained over $3.1 billion in settlements and judgments.
SECRECY REPORT CARD 2007 •
PRIVATE ENTERPRISE
• 108 New Patents Kept Secret, 4,942 “Secrecy Orders” in Effect
In 2006, the federal government closed the lid on 108 patents. Overall, that brings the total number of inventions kept under “secrecy orders” to 4,942.
NATIONAL SECURITY LETTERS
• 143,074 National Security Letter Requests Made 2003-2005
A Justice Department Office of the Inspector General report on secret wiretap warrants indicated that the government made 143,074 National Security Letter requests in the period 2003-2005. The number for 2006 remains classified. These letters can be used to obtain information about individuals without the government applying for a court-reviewed warrant.
THE COURTS
• 2,176 Orders of the Secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
While the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court does not reveal much about its activities, the Department of Justice reported that the FISC approved 2,176 orders — rejecting one — in 2006. The DOJ does not identify the activities being investigated or provide basic information about how the orders are used.
PRESIDENTIAL SIGNING STATEMENTS
• 151 Signing Statements Challenging About 1149 Federal Laws in George W. Bush’s Presidency
In six years, President Bush has issued at least 151 signing statements, challenging 1149 provisions of laws. In the 211 years of our Republic to 2000, fewer than 600 signing statements that took issue with the bills were issued.
ASSERTIONS OF EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE
• President Bush surpassed only by Nixon and Clinton among Presidents since Kennedy
President G.W. Bush has asserted Executive Privilege 3 times in response to congressional requests, as of June 28, 2007. He is surpassed, so far, only by Nixon and Clinton among presidents back to Kennedy.
STATE LAWS
• Limitations on Access Flourish in Statehouses
Since 2001, states have continued to introduce and enact new laws that limit, rather than loosen, access to government information at the state and local level. In that period, some 339 bills were introduced in the states and 266 passed the respective legislatures. The largest number of bills introduced (114) had to do with expanded executive powers, confidentiality based on federal regulations or programs, and closure of otherwise public meetings for security meetings. Fewer than half (52) passed; the lowest percentage of passage among 6 categories of bills.
PSEUDO-CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
• 81% of “Sensitive But Unclassified” (SBU) type markings just made up by agencies
About 81% of 107 SBU markings reviewed by the ISE Program Office are based on Department and agency policies (in other words, made up by the agencies as they go along); the remainder of the markings derive their authority from formally promulgated regulations, about half with comment and half without.