online pharmacy cialis
July 23, 2010 by
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constitution requires that the state government operate with a balanced budget.
But returned from a two week break without a plan on how to address the state’s more than for the current year. Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) is seemingly waiting for Congress to revive a measure that would give Michigan $560 million in additional federal money to help provide health care for the poor. Republicans are not counting on the money, instead planning more .
The already has voted to erase a of $1.3 billion in the state’s general fund through spending cuts and savings in the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1, but Democrats who control the House oppose many of those measures.
It’s a tough job, but legislators are compensated for their troubles, and compensated well. earn the second highest salary of state legislators, $79,650, next only to California.
However, despite all of the cost-cutting benefits of going online, . Unlike other transparency projects, posting Michigan’s check register online would apparently come at no cost because of the way that the state deals with accounting.
Involving citizens in the process by taking steps to become more won’t solve all of Michigan’s problems, but it would be a great first step in budget discipline. For example, the information that Michigan legislators are the second-highest paid in the nation is invaluable. People have a right to that information. There’s nothing that increases prudence like public scrutiny.
online pharmacy cialis
June 30, 2010 by
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The Michigan House Tax Committee is sending to the house for consideration. The bills would bid for more transparency about the , asking that information about jobs, film company expenditures and state rebates to companies to the Legislature, public and media be made public.
The Mackinac Center testified on the bills, which were proposed after the organization released a story about the . The Hangar42 studio, which was previously valued at $9.8 million, was recently bought by taxpayers for $40 million. The state has refused to answer questions about the large increase in price and the deal remains under scrutiny as the bills are considered.
online pharmacy cialis
February 2, 2010 by
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Chetly Zarko, a Michigan citizen, filed a in 2007 asking for thousands of Howell teacher e-mails in order to investigate the occurence of .
The Michigan Court of Appeals determined in January that the messages under the state Freedom of Information Act, overturning a decision from a Livingston County judge in 2008.
The court’s logic is , stating that the nonexistence of e-mail at the time of the drafting of the public records law confuses the issue. Although e-mail did not exist at the time, the spirit of the public records law remains the same. The Basic Intent of the law :
The Freedom of Information Act regulates and sets requirements for the disclosure of public records by all “public bodies” in the state.
No where is there a mention of the type of mediums this information will be created or sent through, nor does it have a paper-specific definition of “public record,” nor is there any reason to believe that new technology will confuse the law or create a need for clarification. The law is clear: public bodies must disclose public records.
The Howell Education Association teachers’ union leadership stated that the case is not an issue of open government, but one of privacy:
“We believe the protection of privacy rights is fundamental to the American way, and we were confident our understanding of the law would be upheld [...] Rights of this sort are too important to leave undefended.”
The HEA filed suit against in 2007 after the district released some of the e-mails Zarko requested. Apparently, the content in the e-mails that makes the HEA so sensitive to privacy matters relates to “.”
Privacy in the lives of private citizens is important. But when it comes to employees of the state, there is no privacy—there is either secrecy or transparency. If the e-mails are to be considered private, then they should have happened outside of the teachers’ working hours and from a non-work address.
The interests of taxpayers are more important than the interests of a school union. Here’s hoping Chetly Zarko’s appeal is heard through ears more sympathetic to the public good and open government.
online pharmacy cialis
May 5, 2009 by
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Here are a few transparency updates from around the nation.
* ILLINOIS: The online pharmacy cialis started an to display “Strategy, help and stories about getting public information in Illinois”. Good move from the Trib, since Chicago’s Mayor Daley .
Another IL piece worth reading is the . It mentions that Mill Creek Special Service Area is “absolutely deficient” when graded on the standards set forth in the .
* MICHIGAN: The Clare Sentinel published an excellent letter to the editor titled, “.” The letter demonstrates that school transparency is much easier than most people think. It takes just minutes per day!
* OKLAHOMA: , a fiscal watchdog group, lamented the lack of county transparency in the Sooner State, and regarding school districts.
* TENNESSEE: Governor Phil Bredesen , , that increases transparency by listing vendor payments and employee travel reimbursements and salaries.
* FEDERAL: President Obama is . According to the Heritage Foundation, these regulations make union officials more accountable to union members and deter fraud and embezzlement.
online pharmacy cialis
February 5, 2009 by
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The Education Action Group works to shed light on school-board union contract negotiations. It currently has two similar videos up at the EAG website. Go pick your favorite. I voted for this one:
online pharmacy cialis
See more on Reform Michigan Now and .