Secrecy Report Card 2008: Secrecy continues to increase
Today openthegovernment.org released its annual secrecy report card, revealing that federal agencies continue to be bogged down in huge backlogs in FOIA requests, increase classifications of documents, and hide more information in the name of national security.
The report, available at openthegovernment.org (a nonpartisan broad access coalition that includes SPJ), details the cost of secrecy based on numbers available for 2006, including the fact that it costs $195 to maintain each secret for every $1 spent declassifying documents, a 5% increase from 2005. Secret "black" programs account for 18 percent of the Department of Defense's budget, more than double the amount since 1995. And the 25 key federal agencies studied cut FOIA spending by $7 million and put 209 fewer people to work processing FOIA requests.
No wonder it is so difficult for citizens and journalists to get documents that we own. Government leaders can claim to be transparent and accountable to the people, but the proof is in the funding and performance standards. So what to do about it? Get your editor or publisher to sling a letter or e-mail to your senators and representatives. If nobody squeaks, the wheel won't get attention. E-mail your boss right this minute with the report attached and e-mail addresses of your U.S. representatives and senators!