Become an activist (or perhaps even a blogivist)

With the 2008 elections over, a new chapter begins in American history- one that will hopefully form a lasting marriage between taxpayers and their government through the use of technology. New transparency tools and websites are becoming more commonplace, but there is a looooong way to go before citizens can feel like they know how their money is being spent, and if it matches their priorities.

It is my hope that citizens- Republicans, Democrats, and every stripe in between- take this call for “change” personally, and visit their local governments to gather information on how their dollars are appropriated, and then share that information with their fellow citizens. Ask questions, and demand reform really, really loudly when waste, abuse, cronyism, and duplicity are found. Hold elected officials and bureaucracies accountable- that’s how our system works best.

So take some time and go to your local city council or school board meeting, learn how transparent your government really is and report on it, talk to your local elected officials about open books, start a blog, twitter, write a letter to the editor, or just talk to your friends and neighbors about making your corner of the world a little more open and honest.

Who knows… maybe someone will even give you an award for it.