The Download: Coalition aims to standardize ‘big data’

Washington Post ^ | April 16, 2012 | Steven Overly

[Jadge]

A small but growing collection of companies has formed a coalition that will push the federal government to establish a standard system by which agencies categorize their data.

Today’s official opening of the District-based Data Transparency Coalition rides on the heels of the Obama administration’s announcement last month that six agencies will commit $200 million to projects that help them better analyze their information.

“Our members understand that if the government identified its data elements in consistent ways, there would be vast new opportunities for the tools that they are building,” Executive Director Hudson Hollister said.

Multiple methods of classifying information can make it tricky for companies to build software that pulls data from different agencies and compares such information as spending, contract awards and regulations.

Among the coalition’s top priorities will be advocating for the passage of the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, legislation that Hollister helped craft as former counsel to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He left the post in January.

[Jadge]

I've read the DATA Act, which is a bi-partisan bill that will redefine transparency in the US. It will require recipients of federal funds to report on every penny spent, not just large expenditures. If it becomes law it will make it nearly impossible to hide fraudulent spending like what occurred on the GSA Vegas trip.

The Data Transparency Coalition launched today with the immediate goal of getting the DATA Act passed, and a secondary goal of requiring recipients of fed funds to disclose far more than spending. Hopefully they're successful with both endeavors.

[PeterPrinciple]

Do you remember the paperwork reduction act and how effective that was...................... It just created another govt bureaucracy.

[the invisib1e hand]

big data for big brother.

standardize, consolidate, control. too bad antitrust laws don't cover information aggregation.

One sure sign that something about to be taken over by vested interests is that it becomes a buzzword. "Big data" -- what a revolting concept.

[6SJ7]

Do you remember the paperwork reduction act and how effective that was...................... It just created another govt bureaucracy.

That's why we need the same government experts streamlining our healthcare. (/sarc)

[To-Whose-Benefit?]

Yes indeed! And like every other pile of Govt. Good Intentions all it will do in the end is accumulate stuff like people’s grocery bills to see if they’re buying booze, cigarettes, soda, etc so they can scream that people must be saved from making the wrong choices, and raise TAXES on the demonized items.

Did they buy a Red sports car instead of a yellow Green car?

More BS to create More abuse.

[Jadge]

I don’t think you understand what I’m saying. This is not about tracking what you or I do.

It’s about tracking the flow of money from federal agencies to states and to to each state recipient and each of their vendors.

Consider the Dept of Education. It gives a pile of money to each state. The state divides that up and distributes it to school districts. Today all the government tracks is how much each district is awarded and a very general description of what they say they plan to do with it. They could spend it all on big screen TVs for their homes (which has happened) and we’d never know it.

With the DATA Act we’ll know the exact dollar amount that a district receives and how they spent every penny whether it’s $100,000 on computers or $8.56 at Subway. You’ll be able to search all recipients and drill down to the line item, flagging and even tweeting any case of suspicious or wasteful spending. And this goes for all federal agencies, and all recipients of funds (think gov grants and contracts).

I think the more access we have to examine spending, the less chance there is someone is willing to take a chance at committing fraud. Today it’s too easy because there is NO oversight.

[To-Whose-Benefit?]

I understand Exactly what you’re saying, and it boils down to the Triumph of Hope over Experience.

US Senators and Congressmen use our Federal Treasury as a personal Piggy Bank to whore for votes and if Any of the Rascals get Caught ripping off not just a few Millions, but $Billlions, the word goes out, and down, and even the mighty Federal Law Enforcement Agencies themselves get a phone call or a personal envoy.

And it goes No Further. File Drawer it and Forget It. You didn’t see it, It didn’t happen.

Senator Blowhard can’t afford to have this looked into, and if you like working here you’ll forget you stumbled into it Agent Mulder.