Open government-plank

===Television Coverage===
* The PA Senate has its meetings put on TV, Senate TV. The signal is given to the media and to PCN, Pennsylvania Cable Network. However, the signal should be put onto the internet as well, as a web stream.
===Creative Commons===
* Public sector bodies should consider publishing reports and documents in electronic formats under 'Creative Commons' licences to allow their free exchange and re-use, according to a new study from the Common Information Environment Group: 
* I would try to eliminate as many instances of copyright with governmental information as possible, throughout my career.
===Sunshine ===
* Under the PA Sunshine Act, videotaping of most governmental meetings is perfectly legal, but the PA House and PA Senate exempt themselves. I would introduce legislation that would make all provisions of the Sunshine Act apply to the PA House and PA Senate.
* Pennsylvania Cable Network covers the House and Senate proceedings. However, PCN cameras are in a fixed position and do not show empty seats of legislators nor do they show the legislators at their desks as they eat, play Solitaire, make phone calls, chat, walk around, and do just about everything but legislate. I'd give PCN and others in the media extensive coverage capabilities at all the events I'm associated with.
: The First Tuesday meeting of January 3rd, 2006, had no others in the chamber but the chair.
===Right to Audit===
* As a state senator, I would work to change all laws throughout the state so as to guarantee that the auditor general as well as any voter in the state has the right to audit any source of funds from politicians and governmental assets.
:
===Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, is important===
* I will do everything I can to extend the Freedom of Information Act and make others do likewise.
===Open Ways===
* I won't hold closed meetings like the ones done by Arlen Specter and the Pittsburgh Technology Council.
**About 110 denizens of the local life sciences scene will get face time Jan. 3, 2007, with U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter at an invite-only open forum sponsored by the Pittsburgh Technology Council. It is silly to have an open forum but make it invite only. That isn't open. It is really a closed forum with a US Senator. 
** A CMU class with Jon Peha, an associate director of CMU's Center for Wireless and Broadband Networking, presented an analysis about citywide Wi-Fi Internet access to an invitation-only panel that included city Councilman William Peduto, telecom attorney and former city Councilman Dan Cohen, a representative from Verizon and technology nonprofit 3 Rivers Connect. 
===Open Lists===
* Once elected, lists of pending actions will be put out into the open for all to see. See Open Lists-planks
category: Platform_Planks_from_Mark_Rauterkus Category: democracy