Just a bill: State checkbook
By Stacy Forster
Friday, Feb 15 2008, 03:10 PM
Madison -- A group of Wisconsin lawmakers wants the state to open up its checkbook. In a bill to be introduced soon, Sen. Bob Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie) and Republican Reps. Bill Kramer of Waukesha and Robin Vos of Racine would require the state Department of Administration to maintain a Web site that reports all state expenditures more than $100. In addition to providing copies of digitized checks for expenses that top $100, the Web site would offer terms and recipients of contracts and grants, and salary and benefit information. "The only way to rein in the monstrous spending habits of government is to make the spenders accountable to the people," Vos said in a statement. The lawmakers said the idea is based on a federal act sponsored by U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, a Democractic presidential contender, and U.S. Rep. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.); the national Web site will be launched later this year.
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1 comment:
Sounds like a costly "feel good" thing that will do little or no good.
If the news media did it's job, you wouldn't need to have this discussion.
Sounds like a good idea at first but when you consider the cost vs. benefits, it doesn't hold water except for the self-promotion of the politicians proposing it.
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