From: scottp@skyfox.usask.ca
Subject: Workshop on Government Information Policy August 6, 1992
Organization: University of Saskatchewan
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 11:13:47 GMT

                     TAXPAYER ASSETS PROJECT

            WORKSHOP ON GOVERNMENT INFORMATION POLICY

                         AUGUST 6, 1992

           Computers, Technology, and Public access to
                     Government Information


You are invited to attend the first Taxpayer Assets Project
Workshop on Government Information Policy.


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WHEN:     8:45 am to 4:00 pm;  August 6, 1992

WHERE:    The Carnegie Institution, 1530 P Street, NW,
          Washington, DC 20036

COST:     Free

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The Taxpayer Assets Project will be hosting a series of workshops
on government information policy.  The first workshop will be
held on August 6, 1992 at the Carnegie Institution in Washington,
DC.  This workshop will focus on three issues relating to public
access to government information resources:  the proposed GPO
Gateway to Government/WINDO, OMB's proposed revision of Circular
A-130, and proposed restructuring of the federal Landsat program.

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                             AGENDA


INTRODUCTION

8:45 am to 9:00 am

James Love, Director, Taxpayer Assets Project


***************************Panel One***************************

GETTING THE GOVERNMENT ONLINE

9:00 am  to 10:00 am

Congress is now considering legislation that would require the
Government Printing Office (GPO) to establish a program for one-
stop-shopping for online access to federal information.  These
bills are S. 2813, the GPO Gateway to Government, introduced by
Senator Gore (D-TN), and H.R. 2772, the GPO Wide Information
Network for Data Online (WINDO), introduced by Representative
Charlie Rose (D-NC).  The supporters of the bills say the
Gateway/WINDO will revolutionize public access to government
information.  The panel will discuss the Gateway/WINDO proposals,
and report on the status of the bills.

Moderator:

     Anne Heanue, Associate Director of the Washington Office,
          American Library Association

Panel Members

     John Merritt, Staff Director, Joint Committee on Printing

     Bernadine Hoduski, Professional Staff, Joint Committee on
          Printing

     Chris Lewis, Director of the Washington Office, Taxpayer
          Assets Project



***************************Panel Two***************************

GETTING IT RIGHT: A-130, PUBLIC INFORMATION AND
 THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION

10:15 am to 11:45 am

OMB recently proposed a revision of its Circular A-130, a policy
advisory which concerns the management of federal information
resources.  Circular A-130 has been at the center of information
policy debates for almost a decade.

The current version of A-130 was adopted in 1985, amid
considerable controversy, much of it related to the provisions
which told agencies to place "the maximum feasible reliance" upon
the private sector for the dissemination of government
information, and to avoid duplications of private sector
information products and services.

In 1989 OMB attempted, unsuccessfully, to amend A-130, placing
severe limits on the so called "value added" services that
agencies could provide to the public.  OMB proposed that agencies
only provide "wholesale" information products and services,
leaving "retail" value-added functions to the private sector.

The 1992 proposed revision of A-130 would reverse many
restrictions on agency dissemination programs, providing, for the
first time, a mandate for agencies to freely use computer
technologies to disseminate government information.  The proposed
revision also asks federal agencies to limit prices for
information products and services to the costs of dissemination.

However, despite its good pricing provisions and the less
restrictive dissemination mandate, the proposed Circular does
little to actively encourage broader access to federal
information resources.  Moreover, the Circular seeks to allow
federal agencies to withhold electronic information products and
services from the federal Depository Library Program, raising the
specter of a technological sunset of this important program which
provides free access to federal information through 1,400
libraries nationwide.

The panel will discuss the impact of the proposed Circular, and
how A-130 *should* be revised to make the best use of public
information.

Moderator:

     Marc Rotenberg, Director of the Washington Office, Computer
          Professionals for Social Responsibility

Panel Members:

     Theresa Amato, staff attorney, Public Citizen, Director,
          Freedom of Information Clearing House

     James Love, Director, Taxpayers Assets Project

     Dr. David McMillen, Professional Staff, Senate Subcommittee
          on Government Information

     Anne Heanue, Associate Director of the Washington Office,
          American Library Association

     Bruce McConnell, Chief, Information Policy Branch, Office of
          Budget and Management

     Other panelists to be announced


*******************************LUNCH*****************************

Break for Lunch in Area Restaurants

12:00 pm to 2:00 pm

***************************Panel Three***************************

EFFORTS TO RESTRUCTURE THE FEDERAL LANDSAT PROGRAM

2:00 pm  to 4:00 am

The federal Landsat program provides satellite images which are
useful to researchers who study a wide range of natural resources
and environmental issues.  Since 1972 the federal government has
spent more than $3.5 billion to finance the Landsat program.
When the Landsat program was started the images were available to
researchers for free or for the costs of dissemination of the
information.

In the early 1980's the Reagan Administration sharply increased
Landsat fees, hoping to defray some of the costs of collecting
the information.  In 1984, congress approved legislation to
privatize the Landsat program.  As a result of these initiatives,
the price of Landsat images increased sharply, and the use of the
data by academic and citizen group researchers plummeted.

EOSAT, a joint venture owned by General Motors and General
Electric, has exclusive rights to sell all data collected by
Landsat.  Despite the huge increases in the prices for the
Landsat data, EOSAT has contributed little to the costs of the
collection of the Landsat data.  Critics of Landsat privatization
have also made a number of complaints about EOSAT's poor customer
service and its failure to archive important data.

Congress is now considering two bills that would restructure the
Landsat program.  A senate bill (S. 2297), introduced by Senator
Pressler (R-SD), would require Landsat data to be sold at the
marginal cost of the dissemination of the information.  A house
bill (H.R. 3614) would give the federal government and certain
government funded researchers the right to buy Landsat data at
the marginal cost of dissemination, while requiring all others to
buy Landsat images from EOSAT, at market prices.

This panel will discuss the importance of the Landsat program to
the research community, the impact of the privatization
initiative, and the House and Senate proposals to restructure the
Landsat program.

Moderator:

     Dr. Keith Clark, Hunter College

Panel Members:

     Dr. Kathleen Eisenbeis, consultant in government information
          policy and resources

     Dr. Keith Clark, Hunter College

     Dr. Robert Summers, Director of the South Carolina Land
          Resources Commission

     Dan Nelson, Legislative Assistant for Commerce Science and
          Transportation Committee, Senator Pressler

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The public is invited to attend the workshop.  While there will
be no fee and advanced registration is not required, confirmation
of your attendance will help us plan the workshop.

Please provide the following information to the Taxpayer Assets
Project, at:

     Taxpayer Assets Project
     P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC  20036
     voice: 202/387-8030; fax:  202/234-5176
     internet:  aug6@essential.org

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yes, I will be attending the August 6, 1992 workshop on
     Computers, Technology, and Public access to Government
     Information


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