Article Contributed on: 4/8/2009 5:49:48 PM
Our Colorado Legislature and all levels of government have but one purpose - to enact the will of the people. Common sense says this includes reporting to us, their boss, how they're spending our money.
However, it seems the Governor, legislators, and education union and school board lobbyists want to limit our review of their actions and performances. The House Education committee killed public school spending transparency on a party line vote , the Senate Education committee killed a measure to require a public hearing for new school construction, and now the progress of House bill 1288, requiring state spending transparency is in jeopardy.
The Governor issued an executive order calling for transparency in name only, the state government would decide what level of detail to provide its boss, the taxpayer. This political maneuvering could preempt the perceived need for the House bill, calling for the same searchable database for expenses which is becoming the standard for governments at all levels nationally, because of it's PROVEN effectiveness in reducing expenses and encouraging meaningful public dialogue and accountability. In their view, having to report to the public every expenditure of OUR money would be a nuisance, it would be a waste of their time having to explain items we might not understand the necessity for.
Imagine telling your boss that! Imagine going to your boss with, say, your expense report with just a lump sum, or maybe two or three categories over $1,000, and telling your boss things such as, 'Prices have gone up and you can see it's only six percent over my last year expenses,' or, 'I've decided additional money is required because I've compared my expenses to a national average of workers in similar positions and I'm in the bottom third.'
This is how you treat your boss? Those who have voted against transparency bills claim we have all the information we need to judge their performance and we have adequate opportunity to evaluate elected officials -- one day every election cycle, at the ballot box.
I do not agree. From my perspective, the idea that any level of government can decide what its boss, the taxpayer, can and can't know about its spending is insulting. From my perspective, our constitutional foundation of representative government is being abused by tactics which obfuscate the ability of the people to really evaluate the judgment and values of our elected officials. From my perspective, we are NOT too stupid to understand big issues, and
paid lobbyists, relied on by legislators as experts at the Capitol, certainly aren't being paid because they have our interests at heart.
Fundamentally, it is our right to be able to follow OUR money. Check your representatives' votes on transparency. Call and write them and demand that they support full transparency at all levels of governance, starting at the top with House Bill 1288.
Let them know, the 'boss' is back...