Orange County Register

Many of us at The Watchdog spent time last week in the lovely city of Baltimore, attending the annual conference of Investigative Reporters and Editors. 

One of the highlights of such gatherings is the list of cool web sites we amass, which allow us to poke around for information. Since many of our readers are keen to do their own poking around, we offer some of our new favorites below.

So, readers, indulge your inner watchdogs, and enjoy. 

• www.usaspending.gov. Track government contract spending.
• www.recovery.ca.gov. Track stimulus money coming into the Golden State.
• www.propublica.org. Stimulus and bailout trackers.
• Portico, “a collection of web sites containing publicly available information compiled for the use of the advancement of the community.” 
• www.usa.gov is “government made easy.” It’s the portal to, like, just about everything federal, as well as links to state, local and tribal.
• www.fedstats.gov. By subject and by state.
• www.brbpub.com, portal to the public records industry.
• www.searchsystems.net, not free, but “the original, largest, most up-to-date and reliable directory of public records and best resource for background checks and criminal records on the Internet.”
• www.un.org. For those with an international bent.
• www.123people.com, a cool new people finder.
• www.Spokeo.com. Offered in the “background your date” category. Mines social networking sites. 
• www.criminalserches.com. Another “background your date” source.

More Watchdog:

• All systems go for contentious, first-ever, recall election in Laguna Woods Village
• LWV weighs in with official statement on first-ever recall election
• Secret extremist agenda: To outlaw dogs as pets, says spay/neuter law critic
• As OC Fair graduates from cattle drive to film production, some are outraged
• Grand jury: Street’s big bet ‘imprudent’
• OC Fair executives accept gifts worth thousands
• Drought-induced building freeze not necessary - yet, officials say
• Is ’severe drought just a chance to hike water rates?
• No-puppy-mill and spay-neuter bills progress in Sacramento
• Millions misspent by state insurance agency, and nobody cares, OC attorney says
• Brown sues to shut down five O.C. charities
• Management company calls us names, defends ‘mystery’ incentive program
• Maddening DMV glitch fixed, state says - but it’s too late for Irvine man
• Addiction center suffers from flawed state investigation, attorney says
• Irvine will spend $275,000 to expand vintage aircraft collection
• Mystery incentive program cost Laguna Woods Village seniors $5.4 million
• San Onofre performance will improve, officials vow
• Wow! Cost of mothballing nuclear reactor rivals cost of building it
• Bad timing: State slices program that helps schools slice costs
• Conflict? Councilwoman backs $24 million tax break for upscale hotel near her upscale bar
• Sweetheart deal for company headed by former Caltrans official?
• Push for more local water leads to hefty $204,000 fine. Unfair?
• State water board will think harder about $204,000 fine
• Former Anaheim city manager hits jackpot with pension
• “Free” credit report costs Orange woman $832
• Retired Vernon official collects a $500K pension–while under indictment
• Did fired OC air marshal endanger flying public, or protect it?
• How did consultant’s $15 million job morph into $126 million job?
• Torture memo’s author may face discipline from state bar
• Kills double at OC’s largest “pro-humane” animal shelter
• Former Garden Grove police chief gets house arrest for embezzlement
• As San Onofre struggles with errors, NRC scrutiny picks up
• Oops. State employees wasted millions, auditor says
• Laguna Woods approves OC’s first mandatory spay-neuter law
• State considers ban on big screen TVs

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