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September 13, 2007
Headlines - Monthly Treasury Statement, August 2007
- Replacing and Repairing Equipment Used In Iraq and Afghanistan: The Army's Reset Program
- Constitution of the United States, Pocket Edition
- Courts Feel Effects of PACER's Growing Popularity
- New Video on NSL Privacy Violations and the Constitution
- Project Safe Childhood
- Pew Research Study Compares Mainstream and Online News
- Blagojevich administration unveils Ready Illinois disaster preparedness Web site
- DOD OIG Audits - Information Assurance, Appropriations for Katrina, Pacific Command HQ Purchase Card Controls
- EPA OIG Audit - Program Assessment Rating Tool
- Report on Internet Tax Freedom Act and the "Digital Divide"
 Monthly Treasury Statement, August 2007 "This website contains the monthly receipts, outlays and deficit/surplus of the United States, for fiscal years 1981-2007. The figures are published monthly in Table 1 of the Monthly Treasury Statement, and are not amended due to backdated transactions." Monthly Treasury Statement, August 2007: August 2007 Revised 9/13/07 at 4:30p.m - PDF | ASCII Quick Links - Monthly Receipts, Outlays, and Deficit or Surplus, Fiscal Years 1981-2006: Excel | PDF Replacing and Repairing Equipment Used In Iraq and Afghanistan: The Army's Reset Program Congressional Budget Office - Replacing and Repairing Equipment Used In Iraq and Afghanistan: The Army's Reset Program, September 2007 (58 pages, PDF): "To date, the Army has received $38 billion to replace, repair, and recondition equipment that has been lost, damaged or used extensively in conducting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan." Constitution of the United States, Pocket Edition Constitution of the United States, Pocket Edition - "The Constitution of the United States comprises the primary law of the U.S. Federal Government. It also describes the three chief branches of the Federal Government and their jurisdictions. In addition, it lays out the basic rights of citizens of the United States. The Constitution of the United States is the oldest Federal constitution in existence and was framed by a convention of delegates from twelve of the thirteen original states in Philadelphia in May 1787. The Constitution is the landmark legal document of the United States." Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence, Pocket Edition - 23rd Edition, 2007. (S. Doc. 110-51): Text | PDF Courts Feel Effects of PACER's Growing Popularity US Courts: "The success of the federal judiciary's Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) is well documented: Hundreds of millions of pages of court documents retrieved online each year by customers who numbers are approaching 750,000. Less attention, however, has focused on PACER's impact on court staffs. "It's definitely changed the way our office does business, and I think it's been a change for the better," said Monica Menier, clerk of the bankruptcy court in the Middle District of Louisiana." New Video on NSL Privacy Violations and the Constitution Via EFF - " How National Security Letters Violate Our Privacy: The 26-minute video, also available on DVD, explores the repercussions of the FBI's power to demand hundreds of thousands of Americans' private records without any oversight by a court or Congress. Two former Department of Justice (DOJ) officials, Lisa Graves [ bio] and Bruce Fein [ bio], share their views on how the expanded, unchecked power threatens Americans' privacy and diverts resources from genuine threats. George Christian of Library Connection gives his unique perspective as an NSL recipient who challenged the letter he received and the accompanying, permanent gag order. Christian and three of his colleagues are the only people, out of thousands of NSL recipients, who can legally talk about that experience. The video opens a window onto one of several controversial post-9/11 expansions of executive branch powers. BORDC hopes local showings of the video will open a dialogue nationwide about whether the power needs to be curbed to protect U.S. residents' constitutional rights." Via YouTube: FBI Unbound (Part 1/2) Related postings on National Security Letters Project Safe Childhood "Guided by the leadership of the Attorney General, Project Safe Childhood (PSC) aims to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for physical sexual contact is well-known and serious; the danger of the production, distribution, and possession of child pornography is equally dramatic and disturbing. The response to these growing problems must be coordinated, comprehensive, and robust. It must aim to investigate and prosecute vigorously, and protect and assist victimized children. At the same time, it must recognize the need for a broad, community-based effort to protect our children and to guarantee to future generations the opportunities of the American dream." Project Safe Childhood Guide Prepared Remarks of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales at the Press Availability Following the Project Safe Childhood Roundtable, Des Moines, IA, September 13, 2007 Pew Research Study Compares Mainstream and Online News "The Project for Excellence in Journalism released an interesting study showing how the news agenda of online news viewers differs from the agenda of mainstream reporters and editors. The study examines the content of several dozen major news organizations during a week last spring and compares it to the top stories submitted and voted on at Digg, Reddit and in the social booking site Del.icio.us as well as the top stories viewed at Yahoo and emailed from Yahoo's newspages. The research can be found here." [Amanda Lenhart] Blagojevich administration unveils Ready Illinois disaster preparedness Web site Press release: "Disaster preparedness information in Illinois has become more readily accessible thanks to a new disaster preparedness Web site that has been released by the Blagojevich administration. The Ready Illinois Web site offers comprehensive information on steps people can take before emergencies happen, what to do once a disaster has occurred, and tips for recovery after the event. In addition, during a large-scale disaster, current information about the situation and details about such things as shelters and road closures can be posted on the site to help people access needed information. The Ready Illinois Web site contains sections that address what to do Before an Emergency, During an Emergency, and After the Emergency respectively. Additionally, throughout the Web site there are links to dozens of state and federal Web sites that contain additional helpful information for emergency preparedness, response and recovery." DOD OIG Audits - Information Assurance, Appropriations for Katrina, Pacific Command HQ Purchase Card Controls D-2007-123 Summary of Information Assurance Weaknesses Found in Audit Reports Issued From August 1, 2006, Through July 31, 2007 (September 12, 2007) (Project D2007-D000LB-0115.000), PDF and Summary D-2007-121 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for DoD Needs Arising From Hurricane Katrina at Selected DoD Components (September 12, 2007) (Project D2006-D000FE-0010.002), PDF and Summary D-2007-120 U.S. Pacific Command Headquarters Government Purchase Card Controls (August 29, 2007) (Project D2007-D000FJ-0014.000), PDF and Summary EPA OIG Audit - Program Assessment Rating Tool 2007-P-00033 Using the Program Assessment Rating Tool as a Management Control Process [ Report PDF - 23 pages] [ At a Glance PDF] September 12, 2007. Report on Internet Tax Freedom Act and the "Digital Divide" The Internet Tax Freedom Act and the "Digital Divide" by Michael Mazerov, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: "Proponents of the "Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act" argue that banning state and local taxes on Internet access is key to encouraging more households to subscribe and incentivizing companies to make broadband more widely available. Considerable real-world evidence refutes this claim." Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act of 2007 (H.R. 743)
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