POGO sent recommendations for good government reforms for Presidential transition teams.

Project On Government Oversight (POGO) sent to the transitions teams for Senators John McCain and Barack Obama in seeking to make the federal government more effective, accountable, open, and honest unlike the last 8 years under the Bush Administration.

POGO:
If elected, your administration will need to make several reforms. The implementation of the following recommendations will help put the country on the right track to a more effective, accountable, open, and honest government – one that is truly responsive to the needs of its citizens.

PDF Version of Transition Paper

One of recommendations that POGO's request is a transparency in contracting and grant making process to the public:

Problem:The federal contracting and grant-making system is opaque. The government lacks rules to ensure that the contracting and grant-making process is open to the public.

POGO recommends:To restore public faith in federal spending, agencies should announce and promptly publish online all new and existing contracts, grants, and task and delivery orders above $100,000, as well as requests for proposals and solicitations, contract or grant data, award decisions and justifications, audits, and other related reports.

Sounds like the message is sent loud and clear to the OJJDP and OJP. I would suggest that there should be an annual report of all award decisions, audits, and other related reports to be sent to Government Accountability Office and Congress to assure public faith in federal spending.

Byrne Grant awarded to Alaska Native Justice Center Inc. didn't go through peer review process.

The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) released a report a couple of months ago detailing the Justice Department's apparent abuse of the Byrne Grant Program FY 2007, the agency's highly touted effort to support local crime fighting nationwide. Thirteen of the Byrne Discretionary Grant recipients appeared to have received special treatment: they did not go through the peer review process. I had mentioned in an article that I wrote these two grants that didn't go through the peer review process: Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio and Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services. I notice that this grant on the list of 13 didn't go through the peer review process: Alaska Native Justice Center Inc.

Cybele K. Daley was a deputy in the Justice Department office that overseed the Byrne grants. Daley left the Justice Department. So, it is uncertain who exactly pushed for Alaska Native Justice Center Inc. to get that grant. What is interesting is the connection of Alaska Native Justice Center. Did you know that Walt Monegan is a board member for the Alaska Native Justice Center?

Monegan was the Public Safety Commissioner who was fired by Gov. Sarah Palin last month for his refusal to dump trooper Mike Wooten, Palin's ex brother-in-law.

Also, Joseph A. Masters is a board member. Palin recently named Masters the security director of Doyon Universal Services and affiliate professor at University of Alaska Southeast, as commissioner of the Department of Public Safety. Click here to read more.

I hope that there is more in depth Congressional investigation into apparent abuse of Byrne grants program soon. This scandal has been widely ignored in the media.