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All available evidence suggests that the lack of tranparent government encourages graft and corruption, while preventing the public from active participation in government. As reported by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, President George W. Bush's policies greatly increased government secrecy while deceasing government accountability. To hide evidence of this corruption, President Bush issued an Executive Order limiting public access to Presidential records.

Control of our government was effectively given to wealthy, politically powerful special interests when President Bush appointed hundreds of lobbyists and lawyers (known to represent these special interests) to "key" positions in every federal agency. These so-called "Bush-o-crats," who have few abilities other than being able to lobby, have been been allowed to move from appointed positions to civil service positions, where they can continue to best serve the special interests they truly represent. In reality, the Bush-o-crats operate as covert agents-of-influence (AOIs), and they operate in secret to promote self-serving actions. When President-elect Barack Obama assumes office, he must create a transparent government to once again establish a government that will serve the best public interest.

A number of organizations, such as OMB Watch, Sunlight Foundation, The Constitution Project, and many others, have carefully studied our lack of transparency problem. Their collective suggestions to improve government transparency, along with my own suggestions, are as follows:

1) Take appropriate legal action to remove the Bush-o-crats, and other lobbyists, from positions in government. If this cannot be fully accomplished, these people and their actions must be under a constant "spotlight."

2) End the "double-speak" and "twisting" that has been used to hide truth from the American public. Increase the number and depth of press conferences to explain the plans, intentions, and actions of government.

3) Create an online "tracking" system so the public can easily follow efforts and specific actions by those government officials who engage in earmarks, pork barrel spending, bribes, collusion, or other activities harmful to the public.

4) Provide another online means of "tracking" all types of government applications for grants, contracts, or other types of support. If no-bid contracts are awarded, for any reason, an automatic investigation and evaluation of relevant facts should take place by the GAO (General Accounting

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