During most state’s budgeting time, politicians, good government organizations, the press, and interest groups often toss around huge numbers regarding the ever-increasing costs of health care services. Most of the time, taxpayers have no idea where these numbers come from, who these health care providers are, and how much each is actually paid for their services.

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is attempting to make that data accessible to the public through a transparency initiative that includes placing state Medicaid payments online.

GreenvilleOnline.com reports:

The move by DHHS, which administers the $5.4 billion Medicaid program, is part of an initiative by Gov. Mark Sanford to improve government transparency. It also will help DHHS locate “unusual billing patterns.”

Another site inaugurated this year lets taxpayers see administrative expenditures.
Aside from nursing homes and doctors, the site also provides information about dentists, hospitals and any of the other nearly 30,000 health care providers in South Carolina who participate in the Medicaid program. It includes their reimbursements as well as the number of patients they saw. More than 800,000 South Carolinians receive Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor and disabled.

The database can be viewed here, through the SC DHHS website.

Gov. Sanford, a potential VP candidate for John McCain, is on the right track on this issue.

Posted by: Sunshine Now | Category: Transparency Legislation | Comments »

Pennsylvania Treasurer Robin L. Wiessmann opened a new searchable transparency site yesterday that allows taxpayers access to information on state contracts. The database was created to comply with PA’s new Right-to-Know Law signed into law early this year.

According to the WSJ, the database seems to have been carefully crafted for usability.

To aid in public use of the database, the Pennsylvania Treasury Department is requiring agencies to supply summaries with every contract for easier access and identification. In addition, when searching for a contract, the Pennsylvania Contracts e-Library will also provide links to any related contracts, such as amendments or purchase orders, to allow users to more readily track the evolution of an agency’s transactions with a particular vendor.
The Pennsylvania Treasury Department launched the Pennsylvania Contracts e-Library in just four months by holding focus groups with users and building the online portal for the database.

Additional parts of the Right-to-Know legislation will be enacted on Jan 1, 2009.

Posted by: Sunshine Now | Category: sunshine | Comments »

From the files of “Coulda Seen That One Comin’”…

Illinois distributed $20,000 grants to 89 organizations to assist with after-school tutoring for the 2007-08 school year. Unfortunately, a Chicago Tribune investigation of 48 of the grant recipients found that about half of those 48 organizations were not running programs, and a third were under the care of a person with less-than-stellar financial histories.

The Tribune reported:

All of the questionable projects share the same sponsor: West Side Sen. Rickey Hendon (D-Chicago), who awarded many grants to campaign workers and donors, the investigation found.

The state board tried to tighten the grant process after the Tribune first raised questions about it two years ago. But lawmakers and education officials have continued to award the grants.

The oversight remains so feeble, in fact, that education officials in three cases handed out money to programs where felons, one a convicted murderer, worked with children. The state contract bars such convicts from doing so.

Education officials also didn’t heed red flags in the applications. Grantees promised to tutor on a “dailey bases” and teach “fluenty in speaking.” Another wrote that he’d pay himself $475 a month for a year to tutor children. When state officials e-mailed back that the grant lasted only six months, he replied that he’d pay himself $950 a month.

In some cases, the grantees provided instruction so unorthodox that it’s difficult to determine the educational value. The Al Malik Temple for Universal Truth spent its $20,000 grant to teach children how their birth date and name influence their destiny.

…

According to interviews with recipients, Hendon sponsored 44 of the 48 grants reviewed by the Tribune. He said he works hard in Springfield rounding up votes for Blagojevich and Senate Democrats. “I deserve more money,” he said. “I fall on all the swords down there.”

Of the 44 grants Hendon awarded, at least 21 went to people who campaigned for him or donated to his re-election efforts. Hendon said he wasn’t rewarding campaign workers; they just happened to apply.

Senator Hendon, allow me the honor of helping you out with a little Public Service 101. You do not “deserve” taxpayer money. You’re not entitled to it. It is not a prize to deliver to campaign workers. It is entrusted to you by your constituents and the hardworking taxpayers of Illinois to be used for legitimate, worthy, quality programs that benefit the people that pay your salary.

Learn this lesson: Transparency, and a competitive bidding process, is necessary in ALL instances where tax dollars are used.

Posted by: Sunshine Now | Category: Corruption, Transparency in Schools | Comments »

Evergreen Freedom Foundation’s newest release: Transparency in Government.

Posted by: Sunshine Now | Category: Transparency Campaigns | Comments »

The Detroit News yesterday questioned the Reform Michigan Now ballot committee for refusing to come forward with the groups sponsoring its proposition. A PowerPoint presentation on a union website suggests who these backers are- the Michigan Dem Party and organized labor. A spokesman for Reform Michigan Now stated its financial backers would be revealed in August, or only when legally required.

From the Detroit News:

To date, backers of the effort and Democratic Party leaders have refused to say who wrote the controversial proposal and who is bankrolling it [though p]arts of the plan definitely favor Democrats over Republicans.
…
“To the extent that this document is what it appears to be, it leaves little doubt that the (ballot proposal) is a partisan power play,” according to Paul Kersey, director of labor policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a Midland-based free-market oriented think tank that found the PowerPoint presentation on UAW Region 1-C Web site. The presentation, whose title page says “Changing the rules of politics in Michigan to help Democrats,” is no longer on the Web site.
…
“Transparency of who is leading the effort is important for voters, which is not publicly known right now,” Richard Blouse Jr., president and CEO of the Detroit chamber, said in a press release. “The business community certainly recognizes the need for reforms in state government, especially when it comes to solving the problems of chronic budget deficits. However, it’s important to be up front about these reforms so they can be fully vetted through open debate.”

Call me crazy, but shouldn’t transparency be part of any real reform measure? If this proposal is really about smaller, smarter government, give us full, factual information on who is crafting and sponsoring it and let the results benefit TAXPAYERS, not the Democrat Party.

See more on Reform Michigan Now here and here.

Posted by: Sunshine Now | Category: Transparency Legislation | 2 comments »

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2008

New Website Offers Information on Government Transparency

Sunshine Review Website Helps Citizens and Journalists

CHICAGO, IL–Today, the Sam Adams Alliance launched a new website, SunshineReview.org, to over 600 conservative participants and bloggers at the Americans for Prosperity state summit in Austin, Texas. Sunshine Review analyzes government secrecy by evaluating whether if government websites effectively disclose information to the public and media.

“Sunshine Review is a goldmine as it removes the information iron curtain between government and the public,” said John Tsarpalas, president of the Sam Adams Alliance. “Whether you’re a concerned citizen or a journalist on a deadline, Sunshine Review lets you know if government agencies want to share information with you.”

Sunshine Review determines government’s commitment to transparency by identifying if the following items are published online:

• Yearly budgets;
• Open meeting schedules and minutes;
• Contact information for elected and administrative officials;
• Audit reports;
• Bids and contracts for purchases over $10,000; and
• Taxpayer-funded lobbying information.

“By creating a new web 2.0 tool for citizens, we are bringing information online that otherwise would have been kept in dusty government storage rooms,” said Tsarpalas.

The Sunshine Review website is part of the Sam Adams Alliance’s “No Taxation Without Information” campaign to promote greater transparency at the state and local level. Currently, http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Main_Page has 85,550 page views and over 95 contributors.

About Sunshine Review
Sunshine Review is a wiki website designed to call attention to the information gap between citizens and their government, promote the importance of government transparency and openness, and compile existing government information in one easy-to-access resource. Sunshine Review is a project of the Sam Adams Alliance, a new media non-profit based in Chicago.

###

Posted by: Molly Pitcher | Category: Site News, Transparency Campaigns, sunshine | Comments »

I am sorry that it has been so long since my last post. Do not fear I am back and ready to fight once again for liberty.

A friend of mine forwarded me this recent post from the Minnesota Independent promoting the Sam Adams Alliance’s Sunshine Review Wiki.

The Minnesota Independent is a liberal on-line media source and it was quite shocking to see it highlight and promote Sunshine Review.

I visit Sunshine Review frequently to get updates on open government transparency issues from every state in the nation.

I hope you will click here to read the original post in the Minnesota Independent or click here to visit the Sunshine Review wiki.

Keep up the good work Sam Adams Alliance!!

Posted by: Molly Pitcher | Category: Site News, Transparency Campaigns, sunshine | 1 comment »

I’m a little late in covering Twittergate, the controversy swirling around Congressman John Culberson (R-TX) and his right to tweet from the House floor. In case you missed it, Cong. Culberson got into a little hot water with the House Dems when it was learned he was communicating with his constituents in real time via microblogging. The congressman defended his actions, saying his tweets gave his constituents updates on how he voted on bills, and why. He also uses Twitter to exchange ideas on policy and politics with other congressmen, staff, and constituents.

NPR gives the details on the controversy:

In essence, members of Congress are forbidden to post on any Website that might include politicking or advertising, at least in their capacities as representatives. Communications on external sites must be clearly identified as coming from a House of Representatives official for official business.

For Rep. John Culberson, a Texas Republican, the rules amount to a virtual gag order. Culberson opened a Twitter account to help him stay in touch with his consituents. Because the microblogging service allows only 140 characters per post, adding the required language is almost impossible. Faced with an official crackdown, Culberson began working to change the rules. “Send to all: Congress, change the rules,” he posted on the site this week. “Talk to us on our social networks. http://LetOurCongressTweet.org Let our Congress Tweet!”

Culberson is joined in his fight by Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) and hordes of 2.0 activists. If you want to follow Cong. Culberson on Twitter, or just want to see what all the fuss is all about, go here.

My question to the House Dem leadership is: In a time of low Congressional approval ratings, why do you want to be LESS transparent with the American people? OPEN UP AND TWEET!

Here’s what others have to say on Twittergate:
Patrick Ruffini from The Next Right
Heather Havenstein from ComputerWorld
George Donnelly from Arm Your Mind for Liberty

If you blogged on Twittergate, post the link in the comments and I’ll add it to the list.

Posted by: Sunshine Now | Category: Transparency Campaigns | Comments »

Yesterday, The Next Right talked up the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s new website, TexasBudgetSource.com, which compiles Texas transparency data in one place.

Talmadge Heflin, from the Texas Public Policy Foundation, wrote:

This week, the Texas Public Policy Foundation launched a new website, www.TexasBudgetSource.com. Texas Budget Source supplements “Where the Money Goes” with detailed budget analysis of state expenditures over the past 20 years, links to the online check registers of more than 150 Texas school districts, lists of counties and cities that have posted their budget information online, and more.

While Texas taxpayers are busy earning a living, taking care of their families, and paying their taxes, they deserve to know that their tax dollars are being used judiciously by the state and local governments that are spending them. www.TexasBudgetSource.com empowers more of Texas’ 24.1 million residents to become taxpayer watchdogs, making government more transparent and accountable for its spending and tax practices.

With these tools in the hands of taxpayers, elected officials in all levels of government should quickly get the message: “If you can’t defend it, don’t spend it!”

Great work!

Posted by: Sunshine Now | Category: sunshine | Comments »

Don’t you love those old “knock knock” jokes? My new favorite goes something like this:

Knock. Knock.
Who’s there?
It’s the ACLU. Open up, or we’ll sue you for the fourth time.

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper apparently hasn’t gotten the joke yet, as the ACLU continues to sue the city over a lack of transparency regarding details of the DNC 2008 convention.

From the Denver Post:

It is Hickenlooper — himself a longtime contributor to the ACLU — who time and again has touted his record as a civil-rights advocate and champion of government transparency.

Yet his city won’t say what it’s buying with $50 million in convention security money. And it wouldn’t, until sued, release information as basic as the policies of its jail.

Here’s news to you, Mr. Mayor: You’re not the only one who’s disappointed, sorely.

“There’s a big secrecy thing surrounding this convention,” says ACLU of Colorado legal director Mark Silverstein. “We disagree about whether the city so far has lived up to its commitments about civil-liberties concerns.”

The group has sued the city three times in two months and has no plans of backing down, regardless of Hickenlooper’s bruised feelings.

In fact, City Hall soon should expect further lawsuits, this time filed by four ACLU clients whom the city wrongly jailed for up to three weeks because of mistaken identity. The city has declined to take responsibility for the screw-ups, and court cases may be the only way to prompt new jail policies in time for what likely will be intensely publicized arrests during the convention.

Mayor Hickenlooper, please do taxpayers everywhere a favor and open up. If you have nothing to hide, no one gets hurt, plus the ACLU will stop knocking at your door… for a little while.

Posted by: Sunshine Now | Category: sunshine | Comments »