Stories on Opening up Data from Government

This page will focus on highlight and documenting stories of government databases and records being opened up to the public.

= Medicare Database =


 * In January 2011, the WSJ sued to open up databases regarding Medicare records that it argued would be useful in rooting out fraud in the system.
 * In april 2011, Senators introduced legislation that was referred to committee (where it remains) to address this problem.

= VA Tort Database =


 * FOIA request grants access to a database maintained by the Department of Veterans Affairs which tracks tort claims filed against it. The database has parts which are incomplete and is at least a few years old, but shows that the database at least exists and has begun to be made accessible.

= Contractor Database =


 * POGO has worked long and hard to attempt to force the government to release a database it maintains on government contractors. Its last request was denied.

= Department of Labor Race and Gender =


 * The Department of Labor maintains statistics about the racial and ethnic make-up of professional employees at companies. They have, on many occasions, declined to release that data to the public agreeing with corporate arguments that the data would release trade secrets to competitors. Here is an update on the story as of Feb 2011.

= Cash for Clunkers purchase reports =


 * Data that was released via a FOIA request was foundational to this story on the effect the cash for clunkers program had in the US.

= Department of Labor Online Enforcement Database =


 * Page includes links to emails used to obtain the documents and the databases themselves. Find the database here - it's online.

= FEMA Aid Database =


 * FEMA was required by court order to release detailed information about the aid it distributed between 1998 - 2004. Story here.