Colorado is far behind on government financial transparency. The advantage in being behind is we can learn from what other states have done wrong or fell short. We know we need detailed spending. The more details, the more we'll find in savings from increased competitive bidding.

Representative Nikkel and Senator Kopp are sponsoring House Bill 1288 which creates a revolutionary state statute providing detailed government spending, including credit cards, in an online searchable database provided openly to citizens and vendors. HB 1288 will make all state agencies provide this detailed spending.

Transparency is so easy. Colorado governments buy billions in services and supplies. Current policy is that each purchase includes a date, amount, vendor, description and account codes for the department and expense account. These policies are already in place and accounting is on a computer.

Call your State Representative and Senator and ask them to pass HB 1288.
HB 1288 will be heard by the House Appropriations Committee as early as April 10. Then the bill goes on to the whole House and on to the Senate. Governor Ritter just tried to step in with an executive order that isn't worth the paper it took. Ritter's proposal only gives us broad spending by category so HB 1288 WILL CONTINUE forward, help it pass.

We recently lost on SB 57 which would have made school districts post their detailed spending and revenues online. Let's make sure HB 1288 doesn't get killed off.

Go to www.nataliementen.com for legislative contact information and updates on the government transparency movement.

Click here for the Denver Post editorial on HB 1288 and Ritter's actions.

More links about the transparency movement in Colorado:
visit - http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Colorado_Senate_Bill_57,_2009
or Colorado Spending Transparency at http://transparency.i2i.org/