| Welcome to Livonianeighbors.com. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. To ensure your privacy, never use personal information in your screen name or email address ("janedoe@hotmail.com" or "Billysmom" for example). Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Transparency In Govt; This would be a good start | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Feb 13 2008, 08:43 AM (545 Views) | |
| Al Beabak | Feb 13 2008, 08:43 AM Post #1 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 Editorial Use Web to make government more transparent Cox correctly urges state to post all expenditures online The Detroit News Want to know how much the state of Michigan paid to pave the highway through your town, and who it hired to do the work? As a taxpayer, that information belongs to you. But good luck finding it. Public information isn't always readily accessible by the public. Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox argues that in the Internet age, there's no reason that the details of every dollar spent by the state shouldn't be at the fingertips of the people who provide the revenue. Cox is working with consumer activist Ralph Nader and others on a Track Your Taxes project to put all of the state's expenditures online. Missouri is well on its way to using the Web to improve accountability with a site that lists the expenditures of each state department. Nader is spearheading a nationwide effort to get all states to do the same. In Michigan, Cox is off to a symbolic start. He has broken down the major spending categories of his department and posted them online. He also has posted all of the service contracts issued by his office. But a more extensive listing is needed, and for every state department. To achieve full transparency, the state should post on the Web all of the contracts it awards, all salaries and all purchases. State Rep. Jacob Hoogendyk, R-Kalamazoo, has introduced legislation requiring such a Web site. The site would allow citizens to see who's getting state contracts, who's on the state payroll and how much they're being paid, and how tax money is being used. The information would allow citizens to become much more informed participants in the tug-of-war over the distribution of state resources. It would also be a handy tool for state lawmakers to keep track of department spending. Most of the information exists in the state's computer system anyway. Moving it onto the Web would no doubt involve considerable expense, at least at the start. But it also might lead to more careful spending, and ultimately to budget savings. Transparency could turn out to be a very useful tool in bringing efficiency to state government. ________________________________________________________________ The very same could be said and done for all local units of govt. Wouldn't that be enlightening. |
![]() |
|
| Otis B. | Feb 13 2008, 09:06 AM Post #2 |
|
Veteran
|
I love it. While this would be a MASSIVE undertaking, the end result would be well worth the time and effort. We probably could have avoided last year's budget crisis with such a tool. Had enough people seen the waste in Lansing, Jen-Jen and her tax hike would have been run out of the state on a rail. With a few more ideas like this, Cox may find himself in the governor's mansion. |
![]() |
|
| Hopeful | Feb 13 2008, 09:15 AM Post #3 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Wouldn't this be a great way for the local governing bodies to begin showing their transparency? City officials could start along with School Districts..... and then maybe numerous FOIA's wouldn't be necessary to find out local expenditures. After the locals governments utilize this, then it should be simple for the State to move forward with the same. GREAT IDEA!
|
![]() |
|
| Al Beabak | Feb 13 2008, 09:24 AM Post #4 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Considering the fact that almost everything is now on computer in some electronic form or another, and most of it having to be reported to a higher gov't agency or oversight unit via electronic format, all of it could be made readily available immediately upon it's creation. It could also be scanned and posted almost immediately upon receipt of a hard copy document. With todays high speed digital document management systems and computer servers with huge database capabilities, along with web share and open portals there is no reason this cannot be done. Immediate and transparent. |
![]() |
|
| Otis B. | Feb 13 2008, 09:33 AM Post #5 |
|
Veteran
|
I agree that the majority of government records SHOULD be in electronic format by now, but that's just not the case. Especially when it comes to local governments. Depending on how far back you want to go, it can become incredibly costly to scan and digitally house records. But, taking into account MI's incompetence when it comes to spending our money, I think it would be well worth the initial cost. |
![]() |
|
| LPS Reformer | Feb 14 2008, 07:46 AM Post #6 |
|
The schools exist to educate, not employ.
|
Transparency is the best possible form of govt spending. |
|
“Child Abuse” means different things to different people.... ----Randy Liepa 8/9/12 | |
![]() |
|
| Larry Martin | Feb 14 2008, 12:10 PM Post #7 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
If you want to control something, you have to start by measuring it. To measure it, you must understand it. To understand it, you must pay attention to it. To pay attention to it, you must see it. Online school checkbooks are starting to become more seen. If administrators knew that people could see each and every line item, they would be much better stewards of OUR money. The P-CCS board doesn't even approve the checks in board meetings. Each board member receives a monthly update. At a recent meeting, they were talking about elimintating the monthly publication and just keeping one copy in the board office for review upon request! *******************************************************88 A news story in my archives from last fall in Texas. http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/storie...nt.21e18ba.html The article points to a website from the article with a "How to" in the top left corner. http://www.peytonwolcott.com/NationalSchoo...urDistrict.html The Montrose school district is now listed as having the checkbook online. http://www.montrose.k12.mi.us/Main.asp?ID=56 |
![]() |
|
| Otis B. | Feb 14 2008, 12:14 PM Post #8 |
|
Veteran
|
Does anyone know if the city employs a records manager? That would be the place to start with this. |
![]() |
|
| « Previous Topic · Livonia Neighbors Forum · Next Topic » |





![]](http://z6.ifrm.com/static/1/pip_r.png)


