California Govt. Leaping into 21st Century Technology

Schwartz looks at a report from the New America Foundation called Hear Us Now: A California Survey of Digital Technology's Role in Civic Engagement and Local Government. (PDF) The report's authors say that California governments have made a significant move into Gov 2.0:

"You can go on-line to have the city police in Santa Clarita check on your home while you're on vacation. In Pebble Beach, you can add yourself to the Community Services District's database of local people that need special assistance in the event of an emergency evacuation. You can schedule a visit to your cousin in jail via the Santa Clara County web site or public kiosks."

And yet, they conclude, "The early results are uneven. California's powerful culture of innovation has produced clear progress from the days of simple government web sites. But the progress has been unevenly distributed. And success stories have yet to be identified, much less encouraged and disseminated. When it comes to eGovernment, Californians don't know what other California are doing, don't know what works, and don't know how to measure success."