FCC appointee has history of restricting access to govt info

FCC appointee has history of restricting access to govt info

[Alex Blakemore]

In light of the recent threads about government (citizen) funded
"reusable" software trapped in government (citizen) funded databases
with several barriers to using it, I thought some readers of
comp.lang.ada would be interested in this post from the Free Software Foundatio
n.
Alex Blakemore
--------------------

[This message is being posted on behalf of the FSF.  Please redistribute
this to as many appropriate groups as possible]

The reasons for objecting to this appointment are, in my own opinion,
obvious.  If you agree, here's an address to which you can write to voice
your objection.  Perhaps further appointments of people with similar
backgrounds will be avoided if enough people complain.


        Jock Gill
        Public Access Email
        Office of the President-Elect
        75300.3115@compuserve.com


------- Start of forwarded message -------
Date: Mon, 7 Dec 92 17:17:16 EST
From:	US1RMC::"LOVE@vm.temple.edu" "MAIL-11 Daemon"     7-DEC-1992 12:39
Subj:	CLINTON NAMES MEAD LOBBYIST TO KEY INFO POST

Taxpayer Assets Project
Information Policy Note
December 7, 1992


SUMMARY

     *    Lobbyist for Information Industry appointed
          to key Clinton Transition Post

     *    Ronald Plesser named to head transition effort on
          Federal Communications Commission (F.C.C.)

     *    Public Interest Groups register opposition to
          appointment

BACKGROUND

     On Friday (12/4/92) Communications Daily reported
information industry lobbyist Ronald Plesser has been appointed
to a key Clinton/Gore transition post involving federal
information policy.  According to the friday CD article, attorney
Ronald Plesser will head the Clinton transition efforts on
communications issues, as part of a Science and Technology group
headed by former astronaut Sally Ride.   According to officials
at Plesser's law office and the Clinton Transition office Plesser
has been appointed as a Deputy Director of the Science and
Technology group, in charge of the Federal Communications
Commission (F.C.C.).

     Plesser has close ties to a wide range of commercial data
vendors and other information industry clients.  He is considered
a key architect of Reagan Administration efforts to privatize the
dissemination of government information, through:

     a)   restrictions on individual access to federal
          databases and information systems,

     b)   restrictions on the types of "value added" services
          that agencies can use to enhance public access to
          federal information, and

     c)   restrictions on the types of electronic information
          products and services that are distributed to the
          federal depository library program.

Plesser has also spearheaded efforts to weaken privacy laws.
Plesser's clients include:

     -    Information Industry Association (IIA).
          Plesser is legislative counsel for (IIA), a
          trade group representing commercial data
          vendors, telephone companies, and cable
          television companies.

     -    Direct Marketing Association (DMA).  Plesser
          represents DMA on a wide range of issues
          relating to privacy.

     -    Mead Data Central.  Plesser is a lobbyist for
          Mead (owners of LEXIS/NEXIS and contractor
          for the ill conceived SEC EDGAR system) on a
          wide range of topics, including the issues
          relating to public access to government
          information and the development of national
          telecommunications infrastructure, including
          the implementation of the recently funded
          National Research and Education Network
          (NREN).

     -    Knight Ridder.  Plesser is a lobbyist for
          TRANSAX, a vendor of government tariff
          information.  In 1989 Plesser used his close
          ties to the House Subcommittee on Government
          Information to block efforts by the Federal
          Maritime Commission (FMC) to allow shippers
          to have access to the FMC's new Automated
          Tariff Filing Information (ATFI) system.
          (John Markoff, "Giving Public U.S. Data:
          Private Purveyors say No," 3/4/89, NYT,
          Government Publications Review, Vol. 19,
          1992, pp 400-403).

     Plesser's appointment to shape F.C.C. policy was greeted by
surprise and alarm by a wide range of citizen and library groups
who have locked horns with Plesser on the past on issues ranging
from public access to government information to privacy.  In an
article in monday's Communications Daily, written by reporter Art
Brodsky (202/872-9202, ext. 252), James Love, Director of the
Taxpayer Assets Project, Marc Rotenberg, Washington Director of
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, and Jeff
Chester, Director of the Coalition for Media Education,
registered strong opposition to the appointment.  Rotenberg said
Plesser was far out of the mainstream of opinion on information
policy issues.

     Before launching a highly successful lobbying career,
Plesser ran Ralph Nader's Freedom of Information Clearing House.
In recent years he helped raise corporate funding for the ACLU's
"Information Technology Project" from large information industry
companies.  In 1991 the ACLU's project was transferred, staff and
funding intact, to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).
This project reportedly has focused on issues relating to the
development of new telecommunication infrastructure, including
but not limited to NREN.

==============================================================
James Love, Director              voice     215/658-0880
Taxpayer Assets Project           fax       call
12 Church Road                    internet  love@essential.org
Ardmore, PA  19003
==============================================================
------- End of forwarded message -------


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Alex Blakemore alex@cs.umd.edu   NeXT mail accepted