Budget Transparency and Accountability 

Since I joined the Massachusetts House of Representatives, I have fought to make sure that our very limited public resources do the most possible good in our communities. This fight paid off when the House passed the FY11 budget that includes a workable transparency model in Massachusetts.

The budget directs the Secretary of Administration and Finance to create and maintain a searchable online database detailing the costs, recipients, and purpose for all appropriations, including contracts, grants, subcontracts, tax expenditures and other subsidies funded by the state government. This online system consists of a comprehensive, one-stop searchable database that will promote efficiency, create more accountability, and bolster public confidence in government.

In today’s internet search driven society, we can track deliveries online, find our way from point A to point B anywhere in the world, and watch oil gushing from a well miles under the ocean via live feed. Everyone should be able to access information on how our government is investing and spending in an easily accessible, comprehensive format.

Massachusetts now joins the 32 other states that ensure open government through state budget transparency, accountability, and accessibility. When taxpayers can publicly access data showing how we raise and spend money, government is more accountable to the constituents who elect them and the public is more informed about how tax dollars are spent.

Additionally, by providing a single one-stop website, this system encourages more companies to bid on public projects. This improves quality and keeps prices down. Transparency budget portals also allow states to track how well subsidies and tax incentives deliver results, allowing states to better target expenditures. By tracking the performance of state subsidies, Minnesota and Illinois for example, have recaptured money from projects that failed to deliver their promised results. More comprehensive tracking of spending across agencies has even helped other states increase their use of minority – and women-owned businesses.

Given the current economic climate, budget transparency and government accountability is long overdue. By including this online budget tracking system in the budget, Massachusetts is increasing the openness, visibility and accessibility of the budget process. Not only is this good government practice, but hopefully will identify areas where we can save money and redirect resources to programs and communities to create jobs and fund our critical local services.

Ehrlich joins House in passing sweeping ethics reform

Marblehead - State Rep. Lori A. Ehrlich, D-Marblehead, joined her colleagues in the House of Representatives in passing a broad package of ethics and campaign-finance reform last week.

The bill, which now goes to the Senate for consideration, gives stronger investigatory power to the secretary of state and state Ethics Commission, places more rigorous regulation on lobbyists and provides for more disclosure and enforcement of campaign-finance law.

“This is a big step towards restoring faith in state government that has been all but lost recently,” said Ehrlich. “Voters are completely justified in demanding good government and the highest level of integrity from those who represent them.”