Fwd: intro

[Carl Malamud <xxxx@media.org>]

> > I only got to see Julius for a couple minutes -- he dropped by the
> > Sunlight party and then rushed right out. He didn't mention GPO and I
> > didn't get a chance to ask. Vivek was there as well and is clearly  
> > the
> > odds-on favorite for the job (although apparently Bloomberg wants him
> > as well).

Vivek would be a very interesting cio for omb ... his mis gaming/stock  
market strategy is intriguing.  He's definitely done impressive work  
in DC.

> > Kalil brought up GPO unprompted and was clearly all in favor of it;  
> > is
> > that just because you talked to him about it?

I've assaulted everybody remotely connected with the transition ...  
he's been the most gracious of the assaultees.  He definitely gets why  
GPO is important for open government.  So do quite a few others, but  
none of them have hiring authority.

Easiest thing to do for the transition to do is wait until the current  
public printer resigns in a year or so.  Next easiest is to take care  
of this after the inauguration.  Hardest is to settle this now.

But, as I've been reminding anybody who will listen ... when Abraham  
Lincoln was inaugurated, across town the Government Printing Office  
opened its doors for the time, the first time the U.S. Government  
decided to systematically communicate with the public.  There is some  
resonance to the present times and I sure wish they'd make up their  
mind now so we could take advantage of that honeymoon period.  If I  
have to start work 1/22, it would be nice to get a jump on the  
situation, at least as much as is possible.

Carl