Dear Representative:
On behalf of the more than 24,000 Florida members of the National Taxpayers Union, we urge you to bring greater transparency to Florida's government spending by creating an expansive online database containing information on state expenditures.
In the current legislative session, you can take a big step toward accomplishing this worthy goal by supporting House Bill 181. This legislation revolutionizes the role taxpayers have in Florida's state government by creating a comprehensive Web site detailing information on government grants, contracts, and subcontracts in excess of $5,000. Such a database is crucial for helping taxpayers make their own evaluations of Tallahassee's spending decisions and priorities.
While the proposed database would furnish citizens with valuable details about Tallahassee's fiscal operations, taxpayers would be better served by having access to all government outlays, regardless of the amount. Nonetheless, it is imperative that you move forward with this legislation to enable Florida's residents to make sense of how their tax dollars are parceled out.
Many states (such as Alaska, Hawaii, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas) have recently approved or implemented spending Web sites for their own residents' use. These highly commendable efforts are in large part a state response to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act that was signed into law in 2006. The resulting Web site was launched in December 2007, and taxpayers can now visit www.USASpending.gov to track outlays for federal grants and contracts.
Support for spending disclosure has transcended party lines at both the federal and state levels - and for good reason. Policy makers on both sides of the aisle understand the importance of accountability in government. It is vital that the veil of secrecy be lifted and ordinary citizens be given the ability to scrutinize government expenditures. This access will help promote an informed conversation over public policies and reduce waste and fraud.
Taxpayers deserve to know how their money is spent. We encourage you to support HB 181 and put state spending data online in a comprehensive, integrated fashion.
Sincerely,
Kristina Rasmussen
Director of Government Affairs