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Sep 26 2006

Letter to the Editor: Good Job!

Congratulations to U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn for gaining U.S. Senate approval of a bill to allow ordinary citizens to access a database that shows taxpayers and voters how their money is spent on federal grants and contracts. It's a huge step forward for transparency and fiscal accountability for the American people.

Once the public sees the amount of tax dollars spent on grants that too often accomplish no positive results or returns on investment, and the waste in contract awards driven by lobbyists and special interest groups, people, will demand more fiscal responsibility from Congress.

Coburn promised he would fight to restore fiscal accountability in the government. It is also to his credit that he co-sponsored this bill with the Democratic senator from Illinois, Barak Obama. Bipartisan accomplishments in our contentious legislatures (both state and federal) are worthy of citizen applause -- even if they don't receive front page news coverage.

It was refreshing to see this story reported by Tulsa World Washington Correspondent Jim Myers, minus his usual sarcastic slant to any story about Coburn. Things are looking up for taxpayers and voters -- and World readers.

Cissy Walshaw, Coweta
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Date Title
9/30/06 Fight Over Earmarks Delays — But Doesn’t Stop — Defense Authorization Bill
9/30/06 AIDS funding bill block stirs party dispute
9/30/06 AIDS bill meets major resistance from Sen. Clinton
9/30/06 Senate passes bill on Iraq and defense programs
9/29/06 Earmarks Find Way Into Spending Bill
9/28/06 Editorial: Ray of sunshine
9/27/06 Pentagon's Troubled Travel System
9/27/06 Bush signs database bill
9/27/06 OMB enlists bloggers' aid in pushing management agenda
9/27/06 GAO questions savings estimates for Defense Travel System
9/27/06 Bush Signs Law Sponsored By Senator Tom Coburn
9/27/06 Coburn's bill on tracking U.S. spending signed
9/27/06 Editorial: Pork defense doesn’t jive
9/27/06 Bush signs bill to create spending database
9/27/06 Report Criticizes Pentagon's New Travel Booking System
9/27/06 Legislation approved for online database
9/26/06 The administration’s new ally on government accountability: Bloggers
9/26/06 GAO: DTS won’t meet savings projections
9/26/06 'RESULTS' of inspection to end contract program at FAA center
9/26/06 Current record
9/26/06 Bloggers will join Bush in bill-signing ceremony
9/26/06 Editorial: Antipork Progress
9/25/06 Coburn, Phillips continue quest against earmarks
9/25/06 Inquiry uncovers waste at FAA
9/25/06 Passage of database bill is just the start
9/25/06 Republicans consider loss of majority status
9/22/06 Opinion: Being a Good Citizen Just Got Easier
9/22/06 OMB publishes high-risk list for IT despite misgivings
9/21/06 OMB makes IT projects lists public
9/21/06 Congress Approves Online Database to Track Federal Contracts
9/21/06 Editorial: More transparency, accountability with federal OMB database
9/21/06 Opinion: Bounty offered to get lawmakers to disclose schedules
9/20/06 Editorial: Public's right to know scores victory on Internet
9/20/06 Editorial: Online search through government spending leaves little to hide
9/20/06 Senator says he wants to probe per diem rates
9/20/06 All Set for DDT Use As Ban Lifted
9/19/06 Congress Makes It A Little Easier To Expose Pork-Barrel Spending
9/19/06 Editorial: Online Budget
9/19/06 Editorial: Some good news on reform, but much remains undone
9/19/06 Coburn follows the money on IT
9/19/06 Editorial: Fighting malaria, saving lives
9/19/06 Doctor Tom's DDT Victory
9/18/06 Editorial: Transparency in spending
9/18/06 Opinion: Newbie senators changing D.C.
9/18/06 Senate's 'holds' are secret bill-stoppers
9/15/06 Spending database bill headed to president
9/15/06 OMB says new search tool will reflect accurate spending data
9/15/06 Lawmakers urge limit on 'secret holds'
9/15/06 Agency supports wider use of DDT vs. malaria
9/15/06 WHO Lays Out DDT Strategy, Calling for Its Use Even Indoors
9/15/06 Coburn praised for database bill
9/14/06 OMB sizing up challenge in new spending database
9/14/06 Government Workers on Taxpayer Subsidized Vacations
9/13/06 Editorial: Soon you can follow the pork
9/13/06 House to Hear Measure on Tracking Money
9/13/06 Coburn Says Iraqis Must Do More
9/13/06 Opinion: Secrets in the Senate
9/13/06 Editorial: Soon you can follow the pork
9/13/06 Editorial: Earmark showdown
9/13/06 Iraq 'sobering,' senator says
9/13/06 Coburn Brandishes Replies From Colleges On Earmark Query
9/12/06 Watchdogs Hungrily Eye Spending Database
9/12/06 Watchdogs Hungrily Eye Spending Database
9/12/06 Editorial: Coburn’s bill will allow taxpayers to follow the money
9/12/06 Editorial: Opening a window on waste
9/11/06 Senate approves searchable online budget
9/10/06 Coburn visits Iraq to support fighting, troops
9/9/06 Editorial: Transparency, yes, bring it on
9/9/06 Senate OKs database legislation
9/9/06 McCain says U.S. safer, but still must do more
9/9/06 McCain calls Indian gaming, immigration 'out of control'
9/9/06 Bloggers help Obama pass Senate pork bill
9/8/06 About the Pork Transparency Bill
9/8/06 Coburn's Internet Spending Bill Okayed
9/8/06 Senate approves searchable online budget
9/8/06 Panel examines high-risk technology projects
9/8/06 OMB mulls strengthening IT project oversight
9/8/06 Government Spending Would Get Its Own ‘Google’ Under Senate-Passed Bill
9/8/06 Coburn hoping to change expectations in Congress
9/7/06 Editorial: Bill waylaid by old tradition
9/7/06 Analysis: Health plan merger a red flag?
9/7/06 Editorial: Byrd Forgets Whose Money It Is
9/7/06 Politics as usual with anti-pork bill
9/7/06 Lott Ready To Push Rule Change On Holds
9/7/06 Senate Tradition Trumps Transparency: ‘Secret Holds’ Could Continue
9/7/06 Frist Mobilizes Blogs to Muscle Two of Senate’s Old Bulls on Database Bill
9/7/06 Congress eyes 'pork-barrel' reforms
9/7/06 Senate hold, GOP tension stall transparency measure
9/7/06 'Secret' hold blocks Coburn proposal
9/7/06 Senate wants details on agencies' IT projects
9/7/06 Coalition calls for Senate to act on Coburn bill
9/6/06 Editorial: Playing with your money
9/6/06 Secret block hampers open-government bill
9/5/06 Editorial: Broken 'hold' win for taxpayers
9/3/06 Editorial: Hold off in the Senate
9/2/06 'Pork' traders unmasked as bloggers win Senate battle
9/2/06 Editorial: Time to stop Senate secrets
9/1/06 Congress poised to renew Ryan White Act
9/1/06 Editorial: Caught in the act
9/1/06 Editorial: Don't keep public in dark on pork
9/1/06 Editorial: A political who-held-it
9/1/06 Editorial: Busted by the bloggers
9/1/06 Byrd unapologetic about 'secret hold' on spending bill
9/1/06 Bloggers help smoke out senator over stalled bill