Get involved in online collaboration projects

All Things Reform has a new feature in the lefthand column of this blog: a list of links called "User collaboration projects". These are more opportunities for the citizen to get involved in online and community activities. As the internet is getting new technological tools more often, political activist websites are asking for citizen help in their government investigations and reforms.

Most of these collaborations don't pay their users, but the cost for engaging with our government in new and better ways is priceless. Thank you for anything you can contribute.

The "User collaboration projects" list will be continuously updated.

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> All Things Reform Mobile allthingsreform.mofuse.mobi
> Capitol Switchboard 202-224-3121 (not toll-free)
> US House/ US Senate Mobile is.gd/D8V
> "Ready, set, contact your reps.!"
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Call your US Rep. and two US Senators and ask them to disclose their earmark requests

Sunlight Foundation is asking us to volunteer for an earmark investigation project. Work in collaboration with Citizens Against Government Waste and Taxpayers for Common Sense, simply by calling your own US Representative and two US Senators and asking them if they would post on their official websites all of their earmark requests.

Now, before you begin, there are already 46 congress members who already do so, and 46 more who have decided not to request earmarks. Please check these lists out, and follow the continuously-updated chart at Sunlight Foundation for progress on this timely project. This is the time of year when our representatives disclose to their appropriation committee their earmark requests.

Isn't it time we, the people, got basic information, too, on these pet project requests? Last year, for instance, our representatives spent over $17 billion of our tax money on these mostly localized projects. To volunteer, please go to Sunlight Foundation's "Earmark Disclosures 2009" page and see if your reps. have already answered. If they haven't, call their office and ask if they will disclose to the public their requests for earmarks on their official websites, and if not, why. Then, please fill out the short form at the top of the earmarks page, including any notes about the call. Thank you

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> All Things Reform Mobile allthingsreform.mofuse.mobi
> Capitol Switchboard 202-224-3121 (not toll-free)
> US House/ US Senate Mobile is.gd/D8V
> "Ready, set, contact your reps.!"
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Contact your representatives for our nation's fiscal health- get active at Perot Charts

www.perotcharts.com

www.perotcharts.com/blog

Ross Perot is encouraging citizen activism to help balance our nation's budget and lower the national debt; we do this through contacting our representatives and getting involved with Perot Charts. This new website of his has many colorful, easy-to-understand charts to explain all of the different budget numbers. In addition, his blog keeps people up to date and equipped with the latest budget news.

For Perot Chart's government finance research and content, Ross has employed Mike Poss, a man of "the highest ethics and moral standards". The homepage has an introductory video featuring both Perot and Mr. Poss.

Ross Perot is not running for president this time around, as he did in 1992 and 1996. He looks healthy at the age of 78, however, and his charisma and patriotism for this great nation is still contagious to a broad segment of the people.

Perot Charts is another wonderful opportunity to give back to your community by supporting much needed fiscal discipline during the critical upcoming decade. A solid knowledge of the extent of our nation's budget problems, and an appreciation of the need to solve them, will make a positive difference for us and for our nation's Capitol.
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Tell your US Representative and two US Senators NO to illegal wiretapping of citizens

Common Cause has an online campaign to stop Congress from compromising with the Bush administration over the illegal wiretapping of Americans. Telecom companies wiretapped American citizens without legally-required warrants a few years ago, and now Bush wants retroactive immunity from any justice.

Just a few weeks ago, the House stood strong and refused to give immunity to the phone companies that engaged in this criminality. But now, Congress is considering a "compromise" bill that could make it impossible for us to find out the details of the domestic spying program and hold accountable anyone who broke the law.

Please go to Common Cause's letter webpage and send a message to your representatives and say "no compromise"! Thank you

Ask your congress members to double public transportation funding in transportation bill

U.S. PIRG state affiliates are running an online petition to improve our nation's transportation system. It asks our congress members to double the portion invested in public transportation in the new, six-year transportation bill.

Folks are already responding to higher gas costs by using more public transportation where it is available. In fact, people drove less last year -- for the first time in more than 20 years -- and transit ridership is at a 50-year high.

All activists can go to TXPIRG's petition and sign on as supporters of public transportation. Thank you

Tell your two US Senators you support foreign lobbying disclosure by signing the online petition

Public Campaign is asking us to sign an online petition supporting the Schumer-McCaskill legislation- it closes the foreign lobbying loophole. Some lobbyists who influence U.S. officials on behalf of foreign elected officials do not have to disclose these relationships, or how much they're paid. Domestic lobbying has disclosure requirements.

Tell your US Senators you support closing the foreign lobbying loophole- Schumer-McCaskill, also known as S.3123. Go right now to Public Campaign's petition and sign on to this campaign. Thank you

All Things Reform's lists of government databases are now easier to search

After a much too long delay, http://www.allthingsreform.org/ has edited and re-organized its government database lists on the left column of this blog.

You will find the use of it to be much easier-- I have expanded the description of each link, gave the database owners' names, re-titled and re-organized the database lists; there is now a database list summary.

We also now have a search box for just the databases; please use this search technique as just one tool in your research of, for instance, your US Representative's name and the name of a defense company; go to each respective database for more advanced and narrower searches.

Get information on your own representatives, then share it with your friends; then contact those reps.! There may be bills being legislated on a topic similar to your research-- go to www.OpenCongress.org for bill details.

Celebrate June 14th, Flag Day

On this special day that goes back many years in our storied history, I'd like to share with you a post from another blog of yours truly, called Understated Priorities.

The flag of the United States has not been created by rhetorical sentences in declarations of independence and in bills of rights. It has been created by the experience of a great people, and nothing is written upon it that has not been written by their life. It is the embodiment, not of a sentiment, but of a history.

Woodrow Wilson, 28th U.S. President

June 14th is Flag Day in the USA. Many of us fly our flag in support of our nation and the troops that fight to protect us all. The American Flag is the symbol of the “Great Experiment” of democracy, a politics that has evolved to represent the great country we citizens are very proud of. For us it is not just a flag, it is the spirit behind America.

New features now, on All Things Reform

All Things Reform has updated our lists of government reform organizations on the blog's left sidebar. New features include a feed of the latest news post from each org., a new list for "Government News Orgs." with a feed and short summary of their latest posts, and an arrow icon next to each org. name for easier reading through the lengthier lists.

We now also have a new list near the top of the sidebar, called "Let's spread the word on alerts"; it lists several social news websites you can share All Things Reform's latest posts with.

And remember, the left sidebar's "Political Calendar" is rotated about once a month, and is continuously updated; and the detailed list of keyword "labels" at the bottom of the page is always refreshed with each All Things Reform blog posting.

Get the latest electoral, fiscal and ethical government news and contact your own representatives on All Things Reform.

Sign the petition for National Popular Vote to replace the Electoral College in electing our president

Common Cause is running a petition drive to ask our states' legislators to support the National Popular Vote. It is a change from the current Electoral College system for electing our president. It guarantees the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Four times in our history, (most recently in 2000) the Electoral College has sent a second-place candidate to the White House. This almost happened again in 2004 and some pollsters are already predicting it could happen again in 2008.

So far, four states have adopted the NPV plan (Maryland, New Jersey, Hawaii, and Illinois) and it has passed through at least one legislative body in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

Please sign the Common Cause petition now, to tell your own state legislators that you support the National Popular Vote as a way to elect our president.

Thank you

Contact your US Rep. and express your opinions on Impeachment bill introduced against Pres. George W Bush

Legislation including 35 Articles of Impeachment against Pres. George W. Bush was introduced in the US House recently by Dennis Kucinich (D-OH); Robert Wexler (D-FL) is a leading co-signor. Kucinich, a leader of the Progressive Caucus of the US House Democratic caucus, earlier this year ran unsuccessfully for his party's presidential nomination.

On April 24th, Rep. Kucinich introduced H.Res.333, Impeachment against Vice Pres. Richard Cheney. There are presently 26 Co-Sponsors- it was referred to the House Judiciary Committee, which has taken no action on the resolution.

Express your opinion on this legislation by contacting your US Representative- all congress members have official US House websites with feedback/contact forms; you may request a reply to your letter, but they are not always returned. A new, expanded "Contact your representative tips" is on this blog's left-side column. Thank you

Tell your US Rep. and two US Senators you support enhanced whistleblower protections for government employees

Project on Government Oversight is asking us to contact our two US Senators and US Representatives; Congress must finish legislation of a government employees whistleblower bill by reconciling the House and Senate versions, and sending a finalized bill to the president for his signature.

This POGO action alert's deadline is Thursday, June 12th.

A coalition of 112 religious, scientific, consumer, civil liberties, civil rights, peace, small-business, labor, libertarian, journalism, environmental, and good-government organizations, representing millions of Americans, is urging key U.S. Senate and House negotiators to agree to the strongest possible federal employee whistleblower protections.

Please support enhanced protections for government employees who blow the whistle on waste, fraud, and abuse- send POGO's letter (you may edit it) to your representatives; or, if you prefer to call the Capitol Switchboard directly, the number is 202-224-3121 (not toll-free). Thank you

Updated and organized post labels now at All Things Reform

After an exhaustive and time-consuming effort of editing each post's labels on All Things Reform, we now have an organized and concise listing available for research purposes. You can browse the tags in the bottom of the left column of the blog, or search them using multiple keywords from the search box in the upper left corner.

We now have over a full year's worth of post tags to use in our research of government reform; for instance, you will see that, up until now, we have taken action on 107 alerts to our government officials! These keyword tags are short for the most part, so a search should include as many tags as possible in order to narrow your results.

All Things Reform has several features for research and convenience to the citizen activist, including tags (labels), databases, public interest groups, voting assistance, daily government information, action alerts, a political calendar and more. And, don't forget to visit our networking sites, such as Facebook, Netvibes and Blog Catalog.

Tell your US Rep. and two US Senators NO to political manipulation of procurement process

Citizens Against Government Waste is returning to a fight in Congress they thought they had already won-- open and competitive bidding in the defense procurement process. Yet, despite a scandal, a massive federal fine, and even criminal penalties for some of those involved, Boeing Co. is once again trying to use its political connections in Congress to secure an Air Force refueling tanker contract.

While the $35 billion cost to taxpayers of the tanker contract is significant, more is at stake in this battle than dollars and cents. Letting Congress disrupt the competitive procurement process will set a dangerous precedent for all future federal contracts. Members of Congress will simply select their favored pet contractors, regardless of the cost to taxpayers or the impact on our Armed Forces.

Please tell your U.S. Representative and Senators today that you won’t stand for this blatant political manipulation, by sending a customizeable letter from CAGW's website. Or, call them directly through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. Thank you