Thursday, June 09, 2005
Good reform
On the other hand, some reform is both justified and necessary. A gross absurdity continues to play out in the Senate. The ever archaic institution refuses to file their financial reports electronically. House candidate and party committees, as well as the RNC and DNC, all file their reports electronically to the FEC. Not so for the NRSC, DSCC, or Senate candidates. There is no justification for the Senate's refusal to file electronically.
The silliness of the Senate's obstinance is magnified by the fact that the Senators and Senate committees use electronic software to compile the reports they print and send to the Secretary of the Senate. Thus they have the means to file the reports electronically, and no cost would be induced in mandating electronic filing. In fact they would save money because they would no longer have to file paper reports.
The Senate's failure to adapt to the 21st century means that their records are released later than the rest of the pack. As such, reporters and other citizen groups are unable to access financial records in the final days of an election. This lack of transparency is troubling, and wholly unnecessary.
Electronic filing is a simple change that costs nothing and is opposed by almost no-one excapt a couple of Senate dinosaurs. Just make the change already.
The silliness of the Senate's obstinance is magnified by the fact that the Senators and Senate committees use electronic software to compile the reports they print and send to the Secretary of the Senate. Thus they have the means to file the reports electronically, and no cost would be induced in mandating electronic filing. In fact they would save money because they would no longer have to file paper reports.
The Senate's failure to adapt to the 21st century means that their records are released later than the rest of the pack. As such, reporters and other citizen groups are unable to access financial records in the final days of an election. This lack of transparency is troubling, and wholly unnecessary.
Electronic filing is a simple change that costs nothing and is opposed by almost no-one excapt a couple of Senate dinosaurs. Just make the change already.
# posted by Paul Zummo : 11:03 AM
