Granby01033

The Commonwealth has taken some baby steps toward the transparency that can bring about a more ethical government. The state budget, for example, is now  accessible online, and though not easily understandable (it is, after all, pretty complicated), it is easily available and clearer than it was before. Campaign contributions are also available online. All of this helps to keep elected officials accountable.

I'm sure there should be limits to transparency, but we're nowhere close to them. Deirdre Cummings of MassPIRG explains:

Transparency and accountability go hand in hand. A transparent government allows citizens, the media, and watchdog groups to hold government officials accountable. The ability to see how government uses the public purse checks corruption, bolsters public confidence in government, and promotes fiscal responsibility.

Like a growing number of states, Massachusetts should enlist new information technology tools to enhance transparency for public money. Eighteen states have established a new standard of comprehensive, one-stop, one-click budget accountability and accessibility. Searchable Web portals to track any government contract or subsidy are becoming standard practice, at least in other states. Public officials across the country increasingly know that their spending and fiscal decisions are open to public scrutiny.

The technological tools are something we take for granted in the private sector. Internet search engines have revolutionized the accessibility of information. We can track deliveries online, check cellphone minutes, and compare real estate, even summon - at the click of a mouse - satellite and street-level views of any address. But when it comes to tracking particular government expenditures online, we are left in the dark.

As legislation and executive orders around the country are lifting the electronic veil on where tax dollars go, a wide variety of benefits have been realized that extend beyond accountability and integrity. Residents in surveys endorse these systems and embrace them with increased civic engagement. The Missouri Accountability Portal received more than 6 million hits less than a year after its launch.

Transparency websites can also save money through unearthing inefficient operations, reducing costly manual information requests, and increasing the number of contractors bidding on public contracts. In Texas, the comptroller reports $2.3 million in savings from a more efficient government administration following the launch of its website.

Transparency budget portals allow states to track how well subsidies and tax incentives deliver results, allowing the state to better target expenditures. By tracking the performance of state subsidies, Minnesota and Illinois have recaptured money from projects that failed to deliver their promised results. More comprehensive tracking of procurement and contractors across agencies has even helped other states increase their use of minority- and women-owned businesses.

--Mb