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Montana Eyes More Transparent Lobbying
by Michael Martinez
Government officials in Montana this week took steps to make more information about those lobbying the state legislature publicly available on the Internet.
The state Office of Political Practices has posted to its Web site a list of lobbying groups and their individual employees that have been engaged with the legislature. In a telephone interview, Commissioner Dennis Unsworth said his office plans to post financial reports, contact information and other relevant data to the site within the next few weeks.
Lobbying ethics has been a hot topic in Montana this past year, particularly in the state's race for the U.S. Senate. The connections of former Republican Sen. Conrad Burns to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff were a major factor in Burns' November loss to Democrat Jon Tester.
Unsworth said the political climate stemming from the Burns' race has fueled the demand for the information his office plans to make available.
"For the most part I think it's fair to say the system here is being developed based partly on the knowledge on those cautions," he said. "It is being developed based on the business that we conduct here. If we were going to go back and start again, we'd probably spend more time looking at other states."
The Office of Political Practices has requested that the legislature authorize $175,000 for the initiative over the next year, according to Unsworth. That request already has been cleared by the state Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and Transportation.
But state Rep. Janna Taylor, the chairwoman of the panel, attempted to slash the request in half before it cleared the subcommittee. Her amendment was defeated, and the budget proposal has now moved to the full committee.
Unsworth said he was irked that Taylor, a Republican, moved to limit the program's funding because he believes there is a consensus that it is necessary.
"I see good support across the board for the work that's being done and good support for what people expect will result from this work," he said. "But there's still some skepticism. And the reason our job isn't done now is because it wasn't funded well enough. It's not even close to being done."
Calls to Taylor were not returned before deadline.
Cartoon Promotion Causes Boston Bomb Scare
Battery-powered light screens deployed throughout Boston as part of a guerilla marketing campaign to promote a cartoon about fast-food products caused a major bomb scare Wednesday.
The Boston Globe and The Washington Post reported that electronic circuit boards, which were hung in various sections of the city to promote the Cartoon Network program "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," set off such a terrorism scare that major highways and subway lines in Boston were closed for much of the day.
Police dispatched bomb squads to investigate the suspicious devices that were discovered near two bridges, a tunnel and the New England Medical Center. The first people to recognize the box depictions of cartoon characters were Web log authors such as Todd Vanderlin, according to the Globe.
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley said felony charges already have been filed against two state residents for placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct. In addition to shutting a railway station and parts of a highway, a section of the Charles River was blocked for investigation.
In a statement, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino chastised Turner Broadcasting, the parent company of the Cartoon Network, for the marketing campaign and said he is ready to go to court. He told the Globe that he plans to ask the FCC to withdraw the company's broadcasting license.
"It is outrageous, in a post-9/11 world, that a company would use this type of marketing scheme," Menino said. "I am prepared to take any and all legal action against Turner Broadcasting and its affiliates for any and all expenses incurred during the response to today's incidents."
Turner Broadcasting has apologized for the incident. CEO Phil Kent said the campaign was horribly misinterpreted and was never meant to spark fear or public danger.
But Coakley said it was easy for emergency responders to get the wrong message. "For those who responded to it, professionals, it had a very sinister appearance," Coakley said. "It had a battery behind it and wires."
According to the Globe, one of the devices already was up for sale on the auction site eBay on Wednesday for a minimum bid of $5,000. A major motion picture based on the cartoon series is scheduled for release this year.
Gov. Bredesen Seeks Delay On Web Tax Plan
Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen on Wednesday called on lawmakers in his state to delay the implementation of a streamlined tax system designed to allow the collection of revenues on Internet sales and other remote purchases.
AP reported that Bredesen, a Democrat, said Tennessee is not ready to impose the streamlined sales-tax system currently scheduled to take effect this July. He suggested that lawmakers delay its implementation for several years.
"The big change, which is paying the sales tax based on where it's delivered rather than at the source, is one that would be very disruptive in this state," Bredesen said. "It causes huge changes in flows of tax revenues between communities."
He also does not think that revenues the state is projected to gain through a streamlined system are currently worth the headaches of imposing it.
"If we're going to get $200 million or $300 million of new revenue out of it, I'd ask communities to do it," Bredesen said. "But we're not there yet."
Vermont's Douglas Urges Internet Security Audit
Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas on Wednesday called for a full audit of the Internet security protocols used by every government agency in his state.
Douglas, a Republican, has ordered the state's Information and Innovation Department to conduct a review over the next several weeks and submit a report to him by March 1. The order came only a few days after the state's Human Services Agency began sending letters to about 70,000 individuals who might be affected by a data breach discovered at the department late last year.
"The problems discovered over the last several months are entirely unacceptable to me because they were preventable," Douglas said in a statement. "I expect the department to look at every area and aspect of our Internet security protocols to be sure we are employing all the available resources to protect the integrity of our systems."
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