I quickly hoorayed last week when Governor Bill Ritter announced his full backing for putting the state’s checkbook online. But a follow-up report from Face The State seemed to suggest the process could take a long time:
“Putting the budget online will be different because there is too much to put it all,†[state representative Don] Marostica said, adding that legislative staff is working on ways to publish a “simplified†version. While Kennedy was hesitant to commit to a timeline, Marostica said the process could take three years.
But – as explained in this iVoices podcast with Sandra Fabry of Americans for Tax Reform – the fact is the federal government has already pioneered this work, along with several other states, and all got the work done in a matter of a few months (not years):
How committed is Colorado to open government and fiscal transparency? Don’t buy the excuses of politicians from either party. In light of the facts presented here, ask them why the state of Colorado can’t have an online searchable budget database within four months.
Or do Bill Ritter and Cary Kennedy just want to take the credit for supporting the cause of financial transparency without actually getting anything done?
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