PUBLIC INFORMATION — The Center for Democracy & Technology and OpenTheGovernment.org have announced the launch of Show Us The Data: The Most Wanted Government Documents, a project aimed at having the public prioritize vital government information and encouraging the federal government to put it within easy reach of the public. 

The goal is to identify the documents and databases the public most wants to be made publicly available in usable formats.  The items can be information known or thought to be in the federal government’s possession, or information that the federal government should be collecting or generating.
    "In light of the recent public dialog about the importance of transparency, we think this year's Most Wanted Project a great opportunity for identifying specific areas where action meets theory," said Ari Schwartz, vice president of the Center for Democracy & Technology.
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    “We think this survey gives the public a chance to talk directly to the new Administration and Congress and tell them, specifically, what types of information they want access to, how they want it and when,” said Patrice McDermott, director of OpenTheGovernment.org.
    Citizens and the public access community are asked to help identify:
  • information created and/or collected by the federal government that should be accessible to the public at no fee, but currently is not;
  • information created and/or collected by the federal government that is accessible to the public but is not available in a no-fee electronic form that is easy to find, search, or use;
  • useful public information that is not collected and/or created by the government, but that should be and disseminated in a no-fee electronic form that is easy to find, search, or use; and
  • information and unclassified documents or data that are produced using taxpayer funds, but are not available to the public.