viagra cheap
February 4, 2009 by
Filed under ,
Today, Cook County Board member Tony Peraica for
John Tillman, President of the , accurately stated:
viagra cheap
Other things to throw up on the Cook County website are lobbying contracts and information on how to file a .
viagra cheap
January 26, 2009 by
Filed under
What is that? The sweet smell of better government? A few months ago, sent out its , and, as a direct consequence, is updating updated its website to include its budget and how to obtain public records. From the :
viagra cheap
Thank you, St. Charles Parish, for being responsive and accountable to the taxpayers in your parish. Now who’s next???
viagra cheap
January 22, 2009 by
Filed under
In case you haven’t noticed, times are getting a little tight everywhere, and statehouses are really starting to feel the pain. If you share my philosophy, you’re interested in cutting the fat instead of cutting into my paycheck with higher taxes. And, like me, you may be a little intimidated by these massive documents.
Lucky for us, the hardworking team at is doing some groundwork for us by documenting where problem spots are, and proposed solutions. And, of course, the articles will let you know how transparent each state is with its budget.
Check out the page for a good example of what these pages will look like.
viagra cheap
January 7, 2009 by
Filed under ,
I’ve been a little delinquent in showcasing some of the newly launched transparency websites and projects. Here are a few that caught my attention:
In Salt Lake City, Utah, Mayor Ralph Becker just announced the “Greater Transparency for a Collaborative Government Initiative” that they hope will allow greater input and collaboration between the city and its residents. Officials offered a and are soliciting advice from the public via this website:
launched recently, and includes a searchable database of expenditures, including salary and travel, professional services, financial reports, and program reviews.
Washington state released their site early last month. Citizens can find state expenditures by fund or account; expenditures by agency, program, and subprogram; state revenues by source; state expenditures by budget object and subobject; and state agency workloads, caseloads, and performance measurements. The has asked the state to continue to build on its momentum by establishing a that would allow citizens to better view how their tax dollars are used and raised, including tax rates and burdens.
I’ll add more as I find them.
viagra cheap
December 17, 2008 by
Filed under ,
This one is sure to play out in many states during the upcoming legislative sessions.
viagra cheap
This is a summary of :
-12 sites didn’t disclose contact information for board members
-35 did not list a meeting schedule
-72 had no budget information
-80 did not list information on how to obtain public records
-80 did not disclose any information about lobbying activities
With results like that, do schools deserve more money in Louisiana? Disclose, then ask for a raise. Taxpayers deserve to know how and where their money is being spent, especially in trying economic times.
viagra cheap
October 6, 2008 by
Filed under
Kentucky Governor is requesting feedback on the state’s new transparency site, . Gov. Beshear created the site through executive order, but likely followed the lead of visionary Secretary of State . The deadline for comments is October 17th.
Experiencing some writers block?
Shop for ideas on or check out ‘s outstanding proposals .
H/T: ATR
viagra cheap
October 6, 2008 by
Filed under
The asks today: Why do Chicago and Mayor Richard Daley face $420 million budget shortfall?
This is the Trib’s explanation:
1. Many city workers make a lot more than average Chicagoans.
viagra cheap
2. The city depends heavily on taxing real estate sales.
viagra cheap
3. Millions of tax dollars are siphoned to boost development.
viagra cheap
4. City Hall builds little cushion into the budget.
viagra cheap
Wages, real estate, TIFs, and cushion… but where’s the Transparency? Citizens should have easy access to lobbying costs, ethics policies, audits, and tax information on the city government website. As a Chicago resident, I feel the pinch of big government every day- yearly parking fees, rising transit costs, bottled water taxes, the highest sales tax in the nation, etc etc etc… Maybe Cook County voters wouldn’t be considering an advisory referendum to add a recall provision if they were confident their money was being spent responsibly.
Look for the Windy City transparency information I was able to find.
viagra cheap
September 30, 2008 by
Filed under
I wrote about a new transparency site for last week, but neglected to mention the other groundbreaking site there- the ‘s . This website works to publicly display budgets, payrolls, contracts and the monthly check registers for every city, town and school district in Rhode Island.
It looks like Rhode Island has twice the transparency now, which is outstanding. I can’t wait to see what’s uncovered with these two sites sniffing out waste and inefficiency.
viagra cheap
September 29, 2008 by
Filed under
Suppose you had a son, and you gave him fifty dollars to spend on whatever items he needed for the week. Suppose your son came back to you a day later, asking for more money. What would your first question be to him? My bet’s on: What did you buy with the first $50 I gave you?
Government should be monitored the same way. There should be spending transparency in all levels, so taxpayers can trust their money is being used wisely and efficiently. If the government uses tax dollars to support a bloated bureaucracy that doesn’t use competitive bidding practices and sets inappropriate priorities, then possibly it needs to have some internal reform before three ballot initiatives pass that will raise taxes. Does Colorado have a bloated bureaucracy? No one knows, nor will know, as long as there is no transparency.
The makes the same point in another op-ed, this time for the . Read it .
If the Colorado government cannot be trusted to explain to taxpayers how their money is currently being used, why would voters give it more cash?
Keep the drum-beat going: !
viagra cheap
September 25, 2008 by
Filed under
Amy Oliver and Stephanie Kubala of the Colorado wrote a great op-ed discussing the need for transparency in Colorado’s government spending, especially as state taxes and fees have soared there in the last decade, nearly doubling the state budget since 2000.
And still, tax-eaters demand more. Oliver and Kubala cite three 2008 ballot measures that could raise taxes- , , and House Speaker Andrew Romanoff’s .
viagra cheap
According to the article, Colorado does have some leadership in the transparency movement, praising the Fort Collins city council, State Representative Don Marostica, the Colorado Press Association for their advocacy of opening the books.
Oliver and Kubala’s advice:
viagra cheap
—