My name is Deirdre Cummings and I am the Legislative
Director for MASSPIRG. MASSPIRG is a 35 year old, non-profit, non-partisan
member-supported public interest advocacy organization that works to protect
consumers, enhance public health, promote public transportation and foster
responsive, democratic government.
I am here today to urge you to include transparency – in
particular – budget transparency, in this committees recommendations on ethics
reforms. The Commonwealth can get a handle on its governance problems only if
we examine the issue comprehensively and offer new tools for transparency and
accountability.
Transparency and accountability go hand in hand. A transparent government
allows citizens, the media, and watchdog groups to hold government officials
accountable. The ability to see how government uses the public purse checks
corruption, bolsters public confidence in government, and promotes fiscal
responsibility.
I am including as part of my testimony, a report I have
released today entitled, Transparency.gov
2.0 Using the Internet for budget transparency to
increase accountability, efficiency and taxpayer confidence. This
report highlights the national trend towards transparent budgets, outlines the clear
benefits in the form of money saved and more accountable contracting and
expenditures with private entities. The report compares best practices in the
18 states that have “upgraded” their budget transparency this way.
Like this growing number of states, Massachusetts
should enlist new information technology tools to enhance transparency for
public money. Eighteen states have established a new standard of comprehensive,
one-stop, one-click budget accountability and accessibility. Searchable Web
portals to track any government contract or subsidy are becoming standard
practice, at least in other states. Public officials across the country
increasingly know that their spending and fiscal decisions are open to public
scrutiny.
These technological tools are something we take for granted in the private
sector. Internet search engines have revolutionized the accessibility of
information. We can track deliveries online, check cellphone minutes, and
compare real estate, even summon - at the click of a mouse - satellite and
street-level views of any address. But when it comes to tracking particular
government expenditures online, we are left in the dark.
By turning on the transparency light, we will minimize opportunities for
“unethical” behavior and bolster public integrity.
In closing, I want to leave you with 3 reasons on why you should include
budget transparency in your recommendations of needed ethics reform for the
Commonwealth.
First: The ability to see how government uses the public
purse is fundamental to democracy. As I said in my opening, budget transparency
checks corruption, bolsters public confidence in government, and promotes fiscal
responsibility.
Poor transparency, like we have now, corrodes democracy: When citizens are unable to access
information about public funds, or when that information is difficult to
scrutinize, accountability is severely hampered. As the Association of Government Accountants notes,
“Without accurate fiscal information, delivered
regularly, in an easily-understandable format, citizens lack the knowledge they
need to interact with—and cast informed votes for—their leaders. In this regard, a lack of government
accountability and transparency undermines democracy and gives rise to cynicism
and mistrust.”
Second: With the Legislature's approval, this Task Force presents a unique
opportunity for much-needed reform. The administration can implement the needed
budget transparency upgrades as part of the three-year information technology
overhaul it has already committed to and that the Legislature has already
funded as part of July's bond bill.
Third: Massachusetts,
consistently ranked as a top state for technology industries, and just named
the top-ranked state in the New Economy Index by The Information Technology
& Innovation Foundation, should be a leader in this field. Instead, the
Commonwealth is barely beginning to take advantage of the benefits of online
transparency for government expenditures.
The stakes are high. Local and state lawmakers have been accused of taking
money in exchange for political favors, and Massachusetts faces recurring budget
shortfalls and a host of challenges that require major public investment.
Controversies related to the Big Dig and subsidies for large corporations and
development projects have sullied the public's trust. While soundly defeated,
recent calls for a repeal of the state's income tax are a warning sign that Massachusetts citizens
want answers. An open transparent government, in particular the state budget,
will allow our citizens to see real reform and re-build confidence on our
government.
In cleaning up the ethics mess, you would do well to consider the phrase coined
by Justice Louis Brandeis in support of transparency and disclosure: “Sunlight
is the best disinfectant.”
Enc: Transparency.gov 2.0, MASSPIRG Education Fund, December
2008
Cleaning Up Massachusetts, Deirdre Cummings, Boston Globe Op-Ed, Nov. 30, 2008
