Notes from the Electronic Cottage 3/13/08

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

It’s Sunshine Week all across the country from March 16-22, and that is not meant to be a week to think about the weather. Instead, it’s a time to think about citizen access to government information, because, as many wise observers have noted throughout our history, government in the open is likely to be better and more responsive government. With Federal and state Freedom of Information laws, we’re on the right road but, like Maine roads in the spring, there are still plenty of bumps in the pavement.

Some websites mentioned today:
www.maine.gov – the web site of Maine state government

www.usa.gov – gateway to many federal agencies and information

public.resource.org – a site which has posted much government information that would otherwise be difficult for citizens to access
libremap.org – a site that contains much map and geodata information purchased from the government and posted for anyone to use