Maryland School Districts Score “C” on Transparency Test

Alexandria, VA— Maryland school districts earned an overall “C” for information available on their websites according to an analysis conducted by Sunshine Review, a pro-transparency group. The analysis found that Howard County Public Schools earned a perfect score; Frederick and Montgomery County Schools received the only other “A” grades. Five school districts received failing grades, including Talbot and St. Mary’s County Public Schools.

Sunshine Review employs a “10 Point Transparency Checklist” to assess state and local government websites on proactive disclosure of government information. The checklist measures content available on government websites against what should be provided. Checklist items include information about budgets, meetings, elected and administrative officials, background checks, audits, contracts, academic performance, public records, and taxes.

Marta Hummel Mossburg, a Senior Fellow at the Maryland Public Policy Institute, noted the importance of providing key information. “As Sunshine Review’s analysis of Maryland’s school districts shows, most fail to provide information online about fees funding schools and other key documents. In good times and especially during this recession, parents and residents should have easy access to whether their dollars are being spent wisely.”

President of Sunshine Review Michael Barnhart agreed, saying “It is crucial for parents and taxpayers to have access to complete information about how school districts operate.”

Sunshine Review is a non-profit organization dedicated to state and local government transparency. Sunshine Review collaborates with individuals and organizations throughout America in the cause of an informed citizenry and a transparent government. Since its inception in 2008, Sunshine Review has analyzed the websites of all 50 states, more than 3,140 counties, 805 cities, and 1,560 school districts.

For more information, visit www.sunshinereview.org.

Sunshine Review in the News

The Advocate lauded the work of Sunshine Review on examining Louisiana parish websites.

After surveying parish government Web sites in Louisiana’s 64 parishes, the Sunshine Review discovered the following:

* Thirty-three parish Web sites inform residents about who the elected officials of the parish are; 25 parish Web sites do not. Six such Web sites give partial information.
* Only 15 parish Web sites post the parish budget.
* Only four parish Web sites tell residents how to file a public records request through Louisiana’s Public Records Law.
* Thirty parish Web sites inform residents about public meetings. Thirty-three do not, and one gives partial information.
* Only nine parish Web sites include information on building permits and zoning.
* Only two parish Web sites provide information on parish contracts.

“Technology can be used to make government more transparent than ever,” said John Tsarpalis (sic), vice president of the alliance.

We agree, and we hope more parish governments do a better job of providing information on the Internet for the people they’re supposed to serve.

Post-Gustav, please go ahead and continue to do the work needed to open up government to LA taxpayers.

Sam Adams Alliance Launches New Gov’t Transparency Site

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2008

New Website Offers Information on Government Transparency

Sunshine Review Website Helps Citizens and Journalists

CHICAGO, IL–Today, the Sam Adams Alliance launched a new website, SunshineReview.org, to over 600 conservative participants and bloggers at the Americans for Prosperity state summit in Austin, Texas. Sunshine Review analyzes government secrecy by evaluating whether if government websites effectively disclose information to the public and media.

“Sunshine Review is a goldmine as it removes the information iron curtain between government and the public,” said John Tsarpalas, president of the Sam Adams Alliance. “Whether you’re a concerned citizen or a journalist on a deadline, Sunshine Review lets you know if government agencies want to share information with you.”

Sunshine Review determines government’s commitment to transparency by identifying if the following items are published online:

• Yearly budgets;
• Open meeting schedules and minutes;
• Contact information for elected and administrative officials;
• Audit reports;
• Bids and contracts for purchases over $10,000; and
• Taxpayer-funded lobbying information.

“By creating a new web 2.0 tool for citizens, we are bringing information online that otherwise would have been kept in dusty government storage rooms,” said Tsarpalas.

The Sunshine Review website is part of the Sam Adams Alliance’s “No Taxation Without Information” campaign to promote greater transparency at the state and local level. Currently, http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Main_Page has 85,550 page views and over 95 contributors.

About Sunshine Review
Sunshine Review is a wiki website designed to call attention to the information gap between citizens and their government, promote the importance of government transparency and openness, and compile existing government information in one easy-to-access resource. Sunshine Review is a project of the Sam Adams Alliance, a new media non-profit based in Chicago.

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Liberal Minnesota Media Source Promotes Sunshine Review

I am sorry that it has been so long since my last post. Do not fear I am back and ready to fight once again for liberty.

A friend of mine forwarded me this recent post from the Minnesota Independent promoting the Sam Adams Alliance’s Sunshine Review Wiki.

The Minnesota Independent is a liberal on-line media source and it was quite shocking to see it highlight and promote Sunshine Review.

I visit Sunshine Review frequently to get updates on open government transparency issues from every state in the nation.

I hope you will click here to read the original post in the Minnesota Independent or click here to visit the Sunshine Review wiki.

Keep up the good work Sam Adams Alliance!!

Welcome to Sunshine Review

Welcome to the official blog of the Sunshine Review wiki.

What kind of content will be covered here?
This blog will contain a collection of news about government transparency, openness and accountability at the state and local level.

Please keep an eye on our RSS feeds as well as our wiki for updates.