NEW: Rhode Island Gets a “D-” in Government Transparency Ranking
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Rhode Island received a “D-” for government spending transparency according to “Following the Money 2013: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data,” the fourth annual report of its kind by the RIPIRG Education Fund.
“State governments across the country have become more transparent about where public money goes, providing citizens with the information they need to hold elected officials and businesses that receive public funds accountable,” said Ryan Pierannunzi, tax and budget associate with the RIPIRG Education Fund. “But Rhode Island still has a long way to go.”
Rhode Island and 47 other state officials provided researchers with results on their initial evaluation of state transparency websites. The leading states with the most comprehensive transparency websites are Texas, Massachusetts, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, and Oklahoma.
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“Following the Money 2013” assigns each state a grade of “A” to “F according to the inventory of the content and ease-of-use of states’ transparency websites. The report illustrates Rhode Island as a “lagging state” in online spending transparency. The state’s spending transparency website provides access to checkbook-level information on contracts, grants, and other expenditures. Yet, the website lacks other detailed information such as on economic development tax credits, links to tax expenditure reports, descriptions of the projected and achieved benefits of economic development subsidies, and spending data for off-budget agencies.
Rhode Island’s transparency website has earned a “D-” grade for the second consecutive year. Grading standards for transparency have risen with each annual report card which reflect the increasing standards and expectations for government transparency.
Since last year’s “Following the Money” report, there has been remarkable progress across the country in transparency, according to RIPIRG. New states have provided online access to government spending information and several states have pioneered new tools to further expand citizens’ access to this data.
Improvements in access
One of the most striking findings in this year’s report is that all 50 states now provide at least some checkbook-level detail about individual government expenditures. In 48 states, excluding California and Vermont, this information is now searchable. Just three years ago, only 32 states provided checkbook-level information on state spending online, and only 29 states provided that information in searchable form. Thirty-nine state transparency websites now include tax expenditure reports and information on government expenditures through tax code deductions, exemptions and credits. This is a large increase compared to just eight states equipped with such thorough transparency websites three years ago.
“Open information about the public purse is crucial for democratic and effective government,” said Pierannunzi. “It is not possible to ensure that government spending decisions are fair and efficient unless information is publicly accessible.”
The states with the most transparent spending stand out partly because they are comprehensive about the kinds of spending they include. This spending information includes data on economic development subsidies, expenditures granted through the tax code, and quasi-public agencies. Many states made improvements that are documented in the report. The best state transparency tools are highly searchable, engage citizens, and include detailed information that allows all the data to be put to good use.
States that have created or improved their online transparency have often done so with little upfront cost. In fact, top-flight transparency websites can save money for taxpayers while also restoring public confidence in government and preventing misspending and pay-to-play contracts.
“The state of Rhode Island should improve the breadth and ease-of-access of online government spending information,” said Pierannunzi. “Given the state’s difficult budget choices, Rhode Islanders need to be able to follow the money.”
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