The group [Open The Government] says that during the 2003 fiscal year, the federal government spent more than $6.5 billion securing classified information...To compile its numbers, the group relied mostly on publicly available information from government agencies, including the Department Of Justice and the [Information Security Oversight Office] ([ISSO]). The big problem with having too many secrets isn't that it's a waste of money; it's that it jeopardizes Secur Ity, according to [William Leonard]. He's the director of the [ISOO], and, essentially, the man in charge of the government's classification policies. By keeping knowledgeable parties from sharing what they know, "secrecy guarantees a less-than-optimal outcome," Leonard told Wired News. "In analyzing intelligence, in developing military plans, there's a price that gets paid." (Transparent Society)

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