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April 13, 2010 by
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Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana is a guy, but you wouldn’t know that from speaking to some transparency advocates.
Jindal certainly started off in the right foot. He signed an executive order and sponsored a state law that gave the state of Louisiana a transparency website, the , known as LATRACT. Jindal’s office was also responsible for the Legislature passing legislation that has in the past two years opened up more of the government, including the governor’s office.
Or maybe it hasn’t. Because several Republican senators , when the spirit of open records laws presumes openness. These senators have proposed bills that would lessen Jindal’s control over records, which they see as a practice that encourages secrecy.
One senator, , has been very vocal in disagreeing with the governor on his transparency record. The senator has stated “The ranks at the top in disclosure, which I am proud of. The executive branch in Louisiana ranks dead last.” The senator also said transparency is important because secrecy is often an element in corruption but “sunshine is the best disinfectant.”
Jindal certainly had his heart in the right place with his vocal support of transparency, and the efforts he has undertaken to make other government offices meet high transparency standards. However, with charges of secrecy sprouting up again and with , , , , , ,
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March 5, 2009 by
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In an , states he is not accepting his entire cut of the stimulus package in order to keep competitive. Also, he does not philosophically agree with the stimulus package. He advocates for more tax cuts and “targeted temporary spending”.
Jindal emphasizes that the best way to grow the economy is through tax cuts.
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He questions how certain spending project in the bill will even stimulate the economy.
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Governor Jindal rejected stimulus dollars for unemployment insurance because it would result in raising taxes on businesses.
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January 26, 2009 by
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What is that? The sweet smell of better government? A few months ago, sent out its , and, as a direct consequence, is updating updated its website to include its budget and how to obtain public records. From the :
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Thank you, St. Charles Parish, for being responsive and accountable to the taxpayers in your parish. Now who’s next???
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December 17, 2008 by
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This one is sure to play out in many states during the upcoming legislative sessions.
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This is a summary of :
-12 sites didn’t disclose contact information for board members
-35 did not list a meeting schedule
-72 had no budget information
-80 did not list information on how to obtain public records
-80 did not disclose any information about lobbying activities
With results like that, do schools deserve more money in Louisiana? Disclose, then ask for a raise. Taxpayers deserve to know how and where their money is being spent, especially in trying economic times.
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August 27, 2008 by
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26, 2008
For more information:
Isabel Santa, (305) 431-8381
Tackling Parish Websites Can Enhance Transparency
A new website helps Louisianans know more about their parish websites
Chicago, IL – In an effort to ensure good government across the country, the Sam Adams Alliance launched Sunshine Review, a new, wiki-style website focused on evaluating the accessibility of government information and data on government websites. Recently, Sunshine Review users evaluated all 64 parish websites, finding a lack of transparency in over a third of them.
“Sunshine Review was created to make sure citizens nationwide have access to the information they need on government websites,” said John Tsarpalas, vice president of the Sam Adams Alliance.
According to a parish evaluation report on Sunshine Review, many Louisianans are in the dark on who is spending their tax dollars and where it is going. Currently, 25 parish websites don’t provide details about elected officials or their contact information, 33 don’t list meeting schedules or minutes, and 33 don’t post yearly budgets.
“Sunshine Review is performing a vital service to the citizens of Louisiana by identifying the shortcomings of local government websites,” said Kevin Kane, president of the Pelican Institute for Public Policy. “How can we become informed voters without access to such basic information? These wiki-style websites will play an important role in the movement to reform state and local government and Sunshine Review is leading the way.”
Launched in July 2008, Sunshine Review wants citizens everywhere to easily be able to locate basic facts about local governments on city, county and school district websites. The “My Government Website Project” on Sunshine Review has already initiated ratings of local government websites in 10 states. The website evaluation project is part of Sunshine Review’s No Taxation Without Information campaign.
“Technology should be used to make government more transparent than ever. We need to break this informational iron curtain between government and the people,” Tsarpalas said.
During the legislature’s ethics special session earlier in the year, Governor Jindal passed legislation that would increase transparency by creating a searchable database of state spending online.
About Sunshine Review
Sunshine Review is a Wikipedia-like website that enables people to find and share information about whether state and local governments are effective, easy to reach, open, honest and responsible with taxpayer money. Sunshine Review is a project of the Sam Adams Alliance, a national non-profit organization that strives to educate and inform citizens about political issues through new media tools.
For more information about Sunshine Review or to request an interview, please contact Isabel Santa at (305) 431-8381 or izzy@samadamsalliance.org
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August 21, 2008 by
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Although has become Ground Zero for , there is still a long way to go until state and local governments can really develop a reputation for clean and efficient government. After reading local LA news, I have a couple of suggestions for any public servant’s transparency “to do” list.
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Example you should not follow: Mandeville Mayor Eddie Price has recently found himself in (again) when an found he had misused his city credit card to purchase private vacations and other personal expenditures. Some city councilmen commented publicly that they had no knowledge these expenditures were taking place. My solution? Put all expenditures online for journalists, taxpayers, and even the city council members to scrutinize and take a proactive stance against corruption and sneaky spending with public funds.
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Example you should not follow: Robert Morgan of TheTownTalk.com points out in a that government employees often do not understand basic open records law, and may choose to delay the delivery of requested documents in error. Mr. Morgan names names in his article, citing examples from Rapides Parish Schools and the city of Alexandria.
I will continue to watch Louisiana’s media and for updates on how they are finding their way to the land of milk, honey, and open government.
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July 29, 2008 by
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The Shreveport Times printed an op-ed from Ernest LeBlanc Jr., director of the , applauding Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal for his work on new transparency legislation. The piece also did a good job spelling out why transparency is important to all citizens.
From the :
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LeBlanc also mentions that citizens that know and understand government can have more influence in policymaking. More influence for less of my tax dollars? That’s change all taxpayers can believe in.
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June 24, 2008 by
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The Louisiana legislature hit the brakes on their forward momentum on transparency this week in voting to allow State Superintendent of Education distribute no-bid educational consultant contracts. With overwhelming majorities from the House (9-25) and Senate (37-0), the bill now goes to Governor Jindal’s desk. From the :
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Competitive bidding not only gives the bidding process transparency, but also encourages public scrutiny on bidders and ensures taxpayers receive the best price on state services.
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June 23, 2008 by
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Here’s my transparency weekend round-up:
cheap viagra online: The bill I mentioned became law last week with Gov. Jodi Rell’s signature on the steps of the Capitol, where she took her oath of office. The legislation allowing a judge to reduce or revoke the pension of a corrupt public official will go into effect October 1. More from
cheap viagra online: The Buckeye Institute released a with Americans for Prosperity’s Jack Boyle that discusses transparency and fiscal restraint.
cheap viagra online: Legislation advanced in the Senate to require all taxpayer-funded advertising to include the dislaimer “Paid for with Pennsylvania taxpayer dollars.” Read more .
cheap viagra online: Indicted Congressman William Jefferson defies ethics advocates by for re-election.
Hope you’re looking forward to another great week of transparency reporting.
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June 13, 2008 by
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About a week ago, I about a Dem voter registration drive in Louisiana that had some major credibility issues. Enough red flags were raised that a few people are checking into the validity of the registrations, and the group behind the drive.
The reported Secretary of State Jay Dardenne was scheduled to meet with VIP, the group responsible for numerous faulty registrations, last Tuesday. It also described the state of the registrations:
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blogs on VIP’s Muslim Society ties. You can gather more information about VIP from their .
Something stinks in Louisiana, and it’s not the week-old gumbo…
