Can I get two cheers for President Obama?
Sure, his reformer talk and anti-lobbyist rhetoric is mostly smoke and mirrors, but every once in a while, he strikes actual blows for transparency and good government. This week, it seems, he’s scored twice.
First, Obama issued an executive order that “directs agencies to stop wasting taxpayer money on non-essential items used for promotional purposes, such as clothing, mugs, and non-work related gadgets.” This swag ban won’t save much money, but it protects the integrity of the federal budget, and reminds government agencies and officials that they’re playing with taxpayer money — more precisely, the money of future taxpayers who will have to pay off the T-bills funding their Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement envelope openers.
Second, Obama is pushing a rule that would require federal agencies to publicly disclose when lawmakers ask these agencies to fund specific projects. Often congressmen are happy to tout the pork they bring home, but the times they don’t trumpet an earmark with a press release are the ones that most corrupt — these are earmarks that could be payoffs to major donors or fundraisers. Obama dragging these unheralded earmarks into the open is good.
So, good work, Obama. If you’re looking for more government reform ideas, give me a call. I’ve got a few.
