Support Transparency in State Spending

We taxpayers foot the bill for state government, and we deserve to see how legislators and public officials use our hard-earned income. In your state, though, learning how taxpayer dollars are used is difficult. But it needn’t be.

As Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, and other states have proven, modern technology has made it easy to show taxpayers exactly how their funds are being spent. Creating this type of searchable, online spending transparency Web site is relatively inexpensive, and delivers great value to the public. If politicians squander or misallocate the resources entrusted to them, we should know about it. Likewise, prudent spending and stewardship merit praise. Transparency enables taxpayers to hold government officials accountable.

By acting now, your state has the opportunity to lead the nation in placing its expenditures online. Bring greater transparency to your state, send your legislators the letter below, and demand, “Show me the spending!”

Tell me more

Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ],

(Edit Letter Below)

Our state leaders pride themselves on giving citizens like me information about how the government serves us.  But there are still vital details that we really don't have, such as specific, line-by-line information about how the state spends its funds.

You may have seen how the federal government launched www.usaspending.gov, a site that shows taxpayers exactly where their money went and who got it.  What's good for Washington would be just as good for us.  I hope you will support and vote for legislation that will give ordinary folks a chance to get on the Internet and browse through a searchable database of the state's funding activities.  To name a few examples, we should be able to see individual expenditure descriptions, the details of state contracts, which entities have received state grants, and public employee salaries.

Online spending transparency isn't some Democrat or Republican issue.  It's all about opening up the workings of government for the people who fund it.  Once that happens, some citizens may think they're getting a great buy for their tax dollars, while others won't.  But everyone will have the facts they need to make informed political judgments and to participate more effectively in the democratic process.

Please give us the openness and transparency we deserve. Join with your fellow legislators, follow the example set by officials in other states, and give us a searchable state spending database we can all use and understand!

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

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