Transparency
A couple of email messages that I received recently included a message from one of my U.S. Senators. The message read in part: "I’m bringing your voice, your concerns, and your desire that elected officials put differences aside and come together to get things done. I’ve always tried to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to solve our most pressing problems."
The other message was a warning that stated "One more negative outcome of the inability of Congress and the Obama administration to reach an agreement on reducing the federal deficit may be the siphoning off of millions of dollars from wildlife conservation funding provided by the 10-11 percent tax paid on new firearms and ammunition under the 75-year-old Pittman-Robertson Act."
So, raiding the wildlife conservation fund, a designated fund established by added taxes on firearms and ammunition, in order to fund wasteful spending is now in the scheme of things. That is a difference that cannot be "put aside." Government is going to have to implement something that is more believable and trustworthy than status quo political rhetoric.
Assuming that trust cannot exist without transparency, this would be a good idea to start with. Of course, not everyone has time to mine data from government websites, which means that any success of a government oversight or transparency program will need to rely on truthful reporting; the facts need to be accessible and accurate. That's just the start!
-fl