Posted on 02/18/2009 4:27:59 PM PST by STARWISE
Remember Barack Obama’s pledge to make this the Most Transparent Administration Evah? Josh Gerstein at Politico notices a few items that seem to have slipped by the national media, thanks to a lack of openness on the part of Obama’s communications team. Obama issued three executive orders and a handful of regulations without ever announcing them:
In his first weeks in office, President Barack Obama shut down his predecessor’s system for reviewing regulations, realigned and expanded two key White House policymaking bodies and extended economic sanctions against parties to the conflict in the African nation of Cote D’Ivoire.
Despite the intense scrutiny a president gets just after the inauguration, Obama managed to take all these actions with nary a mention from the White House press corps.
The moves escaped notice because they were never announced by the White House Press Office and were never placed on the White House web site.
They came to light only because the official paperwork was transmitted to the Federal Register, a dense daily compendium of regulatory actions and other formal notices prepared by the National Archives. They were published there several days after the fact.
What got missed? One executive order expanded the National Economic Council to 25 members, and the additions are certainly intriguing. Obama appointed the open HHS Secretary to the NEC, as well as Education Secretary Arne Duncan. Two other appointments should have provoked some controversy: “climate czar” Carol Browner and adviser Valerie Jarrett, last mentioned in the Blagojevich scandal. Adding a “climate czar” to an economic council sends the signal that Obama takes the global-warming issue a lot more seriously than he does the economy — which is probably why the White House buried that EO.
Another EO halted review of regulations in federal agencies, pending the installation of a new review process. That seems less controversial, as most administrations have their own regulatory procedures. However, since the EO stopped review altogether, transparency would have called for disclosure of that fact and of the EO itself.
Most Transparent Administration Evah? More like the same old, same old.
The list of contents from today backward is: POSTED HERE ---(save this link)
Of course, when BHO and his admin decide to withhold information from publication in the Federal Register AND the WH website under "Briefing Room - Presidential Actions, we're all being kept in the dark about his actions.... purposely.
Interesting, that in the list dated one day after inauguration, there's a large notice dealing with the change of regulatory dates for CA grapes. Pelosi owns a vineyard.
~~PING!
TRANSPARENCY MY @SS!!
Keep an eye on FCC postings. A new Fairness Doctrine (in whatever guise it eventually appears) should necessitate a period for both formal and informal public comments.
FYI
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-3177.htm
###
[Federal Register: February 18, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 31)]
[Notices]
[Page 7587-7588]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18fe09-28]
COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS
Sunshine Act Notice
AGENCY: United States Commission on Civil Rights.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
DATE AND TIME: Friday, February 20, 2009; 9:30 a.m.
PLACE: 624 Ninth Street, NW., Rm. 540, Washington, DC 20425.
Meeting Agenda
I. Approval of Agenda.
II. Approval of Minutes of December 12, 2008 and January 16, 2009
Meetings.
III. Announcements.
IV. Staff Director’s Report.
V. Management and Operations.
FY 2010 Budget Request
VI. Program Planning.
Findings and Recommendations for Briefing Report on
Department of Justice’s Enforcement of Voting Rights in 2008
Presidential Election
Request To Extend the Public Comment Period for the
Briefing on ``Specifying English as the Common Language of the
Workplace: Every Employer’s Right or Violation of Federal Law?’’
VII. State Advisory Committee Issues.
Oklahoma SAC
VIII. Future Agenda Items.
IX. Adjourn.
CONTACT PERSON FOR FURTHER INFORMATION; Lenore Ostrowsky, Acting Chief,
Public Affairs Unit (202) 376-8582. TDD: (202) 376-8116.
[[Page 7588]]
Persons with a disability requiring special services, such as an
interpreter for the hearing impaired, should contact Pamela Dunston at
least seven days prior to the meeting at 202-376-8105.
Dated: February 10, 2009.
David Blackwood,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. E9-3177 Filed 2-17-09; 8:45 am]
FYI
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-3279.htm
###
Federal Register: February 17, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 30)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 7314-7332]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17fe09-9]
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 15
[ET Docket No. 04-186 and 02-380; FCC 08-260]
Unlicensed Operation in the TV Broadcast Bands
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: In this document the Commission adopted rules to allow unlicensed radio transmitters to operate in the broadcast television spectrum at locations where that spectrum is not being used by licensed services (this unused TV spectrum is often termed ``white spaces’’).
This action will make a significant amount of spectrum available for new and innovative products and services, including broadband data and other services for businesses and consumers. The actions taken are a conservative first step that
[[Page 7315]]
includes many safeguards to prevent harmful interference to incumbent communications services. Moreover, the Commission will closely oversee the development and introduction of these devices to the market and will take whatever actions may be necessary to avoid, and if necessary correct, any interference that may occur.
DATES: Effective March 19, 2009, except for Sec. Sec. 15.713, 15.714, 15.715 and 15.717, which contain information collection requirements that have not been approved by the Office of Management and Budget.
The Federal Communications Commission will publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those sections.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Analysis: This document contains new information collection requirements. The Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, invites the general public to comment on the information collection requirements contained in this R&O as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments should be submitted by April 20, 2009.
ADDRESSES: In addition to filing comments with the Secretary, a copy of any comments on the Paperwork Reduction Act information collection requirements contained herein should be submitted to the Federal Communications Commission via e-mail to PRA@fcc.gov and to Nicholas A.
Fraser, Office of Management and Budget, via e-mail to Nicholas_A._ Fraser@omb.eop.gov or via fax at 202-395-5167.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hugh VanTuyl, Office of Engineering and Technology, (202) 418-7506, e-mail Hugh.VanTuyl@fcc.gov or Alan Stillwell, Office of Engineering and Technology (202) 418-2925, e-mail
Alan.Stillwell@fcc.gov. TTY (202) 418-2989.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission’s Report and Order and Memorandum Opinion and Order, ET Docket No. 04-186 and ET Docket No. 02-380, FCC 08-260, adopted November 4, 2008 and released
November 14, 2008. The full text of this document is available on the Commission’s Internet site at http://www.fcc.gov. It is also available for inspection and copying during regular business hours in the FCC
Reference Center (Room CY-A257), 445 12th Street., SW., Washington, DC 20554.
The full text of this document also may be purchased from the Commission’s duplication contractor, Best Copy and Printing Inc., Portals II, 445 12th St., SW., Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554; telephone (202) 488-5300; fax (202) 488-5563; e-mail FCC@BCPIWEB.COM.
Summary of the Report and Order and Memorandum Opinion and Order
1. On May 13, 2004, the Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), 71 FR 66897, November 17, 2006, in this proceeding in which it proposed to allow unlicensed operation in the TV bands at locations where frequencies are not in use by licensed services.
To ensure that no harmful interference will occur to TV stations and other authorized users of the spectrum, the Commission proposed to define the conditions under which a TV channel is unused and to require unlicensed devices to incorporate ``smart radio’’ features to identify the unused
TV channels in the area where they are located.
For the purpose of minimizing interference, the Commission proposed to classify unlicensed TVBDs in two general functional categories. The first category would consist of lower power ``personal/portable’’ unlicensed devices, such as Wi-Fi-like cards in laptop computers or wireless in-home local area networks (LANs).
The second category would consist of higher power ``fixed’’ unlicensed devices that would operate from a fixed location and could be used to provide commercial services such as wireless broadband Internet access.
It proposed to require that personal/portable devices operate only when they receive a control signal from a source such as a TV station or FM radio station that identifies the vacant TV channels in that particular area.
The Commission also requested comments on an approach that would require that fixed devices incorporate a geo-location method such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or be professionally installed, and that they access a
database system to identify vacant channels at their location.
The Commission further sought comment on the use of spectrum sensing to identify vacant TV channels, but did not propose any specific technical criteria for spectrum sensing.
2. The comments received in response to the NPRM were divided between the prospective manufacturers and users of unlicensed devices who believe adequate safeguards can be put in place to prevent harmful interference to authorized services, and the existing users of the TV bands who are concerned about potential interference.
A number of broadband equipment manufacturers, trade associations and other parties supported allowing unlicensed operation in the TV bands. These parties
generally stated that unlicensed devices could operate in the TV bands without causing interference to authorized services.
They further stated that allowing such operation in the TV bands could improve access to broadband communications by taking advantage of the favorable propagation characteristics of the TV spectrum and that this would
result in more efficient use of this spectrum.
3. Full service and low power TV broadcasters generally opposed allowing unlicensed operation in the TV bands, expressing concern that unlicensed devices operating under the proposed rules would cause interference to TV reception, particularly in weak signal areas.
Several parties also expressed concern that unlicensed devices operating in close proximity to TV receivers would cause direct pick-up interference potentially affecting all channels. Manufacturers and users of wireless microphones and other broadcast auxiliary services submitted that unlicensed devices would cause harmful interference to
those services.
Those parties recommended that the Commission take a number of steps to protect auxiliary services. Land mobile interests expressed concern about allowing unlicensed operation on channels 14-20 in any part of the country because devices could be transported into areas where those channels are used for PLMRS/CMRS operations.
Long .. rest at above link.
Thanks for posting AND thanks very much for the links. Very interesting.
My pleasure ...... keep checking it.
Starwise, thanks so much for the link. I have bookmarked it and plan to check it at least once a day.
Wait til he increases the number of SCOTUS justices by Exec Order. Coming soon.
Yikes...sounds like prep work for the ‘Obama Channel’....coming soon to an airwave near you!
LOL!
Thanks for the ping and keeping watch. We should all start delegating watches 24/7 on the Zero Administration. No telling what they are doing!
Currently the military is using some of these "unused" TV frequencies, for nonoperational purposes, such as instrumentation telemetry. Now they'll have to find room in the already crowded spectrum dedicated exclusively to the military.
But that trend was already established before The One took on the office of POTUS, and planning for the loss of frequencies was ongoing. Although mainly driven by the increase in use of those TV frequencies.
For TV stations as urban areas increasingly encroach on testing areas. They don't have to get very close if the thing that's being instrumented is at altitude, because as you go up, the range to the line of sight horizon goes up too, as the square root of the alitude. Horizon_range = sqrt(2*Radius_of_earth * altitude) (if the earth were spherical and "smooth" like a billiard ball).
So, this means the government can know exactly where and who is watching what?
Sounds that way doesn’t it? He’s going to go too far and everyone will begin to turn on him.
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