Massachusetts State Sen. Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville), along with State Reps. Carl Sciortino (D-Medford/Somerville) and Denise Provost (D-Somerville) and dozens of other state legislators, is co-sponsoring a bill in the Massachusetts Senate that promotes state spending transparency through the creation of a comprehensive Web site.
The Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), which advocates government transparency, yesterday also released a state-by-state report in which Massachusetts earned an "F" for "incomplete" with regard to government spending transparency.
Sciortino (LA '00) explained that the bill he is co-sponsoring will increase transparency by directing Secretary of the Executive Office of Administration and Finance Jay Gonzalez to create a Web site that will compile records of all money spent by state agencies on contracts and programs.
"The executive branch will have to compile all information through executive agencies," Sciortino told the Daily. "Through Mass.gov, [it would] compile all contracts, grants, and spending ... and pull together all the documents and numbers needed to ... put it into a single, searchable format."
Sciortino and Deirdre Cummings, legislative director of Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG), both said that along with creating a more inclusive organizational system, the bill would make public previously unreported spending information.
"This Web site would provide checkbook-level detail," Sciortino said. "You would be able to see every contract paid by the state."
Cummings highlighted that data on spending by quasi-public agencies, a nearly inaccessible sector to the public, would be made available.
Sciortino said the bill was in March passed through the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. "We're really pleased to get a positive vote on the bill in the first filing," he said.
An effort in the Senate to pass the proposition as an amendment to the state's economic development package on Friday failed, with the bill getting only 14 votes.
Jehlen, however, said this was better than nothing. "We're … going to write a tighter version," Jehlen told the Daily. "They will bring the bill back to committee and continue to attempt to pass the bill during the next couple months."
According to Jehlen, the bill would support governmental responsibility for state funds. "The agencies need to report to the public if they're going to be accountable," she said.
Cummings said this increased accountability would also promote efficiency in spending practices.
"[Lawmakers] can increase reporting on how effectively the contracts organized by the state are working out," Cummings told the Daily. "The more information we have, the more we can direct money to programs and contracts that are effective versus not effective."
While the Massachusetts government Web site that details expenditures of stimulus money under President Barack Obama's Recovery Act has been commended as one of the most effective among similar sites, Jehlen said that the current venue for online reporting of general spending is inadequate.
"We don't even compare different programs against each other, or to any other spending," Jehlen said.
Cummings agreed that a more comprehensive venue was needed. "There are a handful of other Web sites with similar information, but our goal is to get it all on one Web site," Cummings said.
Advocates of the bill say that complete online availability of information has in the Internet age become expected of the government.
"The public is ahead of the government on this issue," Cummings said. "We ought to be able to see how the government spends our money."
"People expect to be able to go online and find information about everything," Sciortino said.
Sciortino and Cummings both said that transparency is necessary at a time when individuals and agencies are watching their money closely.
"Fiscal accountability is obviously really important given the current economic downturn, and a lot of people have been asking about whether tax dollars are being spent wisely," Sciortino said.
"One of the reasons [this is important] is that our lawmakers are having to make tough decisions," Cummings said. "As we evaluate our own budgets, it makes sense that we review how the state is investing our limited resources."
Cummings added that improved transparency could deter irresponsible activities.
"[We could see] savings from the prevention of any suspect individuals or relationships," Cummings said. "We may deter poor decision making and prevent corruption."
Sciortino noted that the move for transparency in government spending is not unique to Massachusetts, and that over 30 other states have instituted mandates for online access to detailed government spending records.
"Fiscal transparency is really moving across the country," he said. "It is part of a national movement."
