“…And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.”
– President Obama, Inaugural Address, January 20th 2009.
Friends and neighbors,
Over the past several months, I have enjoyed talking with many of you and listening to your concerns about the direction of our state and our country. One thing that I continue to hear from people is a growing concern that government is no longer accountable to the people. There is frustration at runaway spending, without an ability to understand where our tax dollars are being spent. This must change.
Again this year, my colleagues and I in the House Republican caucus will be working to pass the Iowa Transparency Act. This bill directs the Iowa Department of Administrative Services to develop and operate a single searchable web site for Iowa taxpayers to see how and where their tax dollars are being collected and spent.
The Iowa Transparency web site will allow the public, at no cost, to search a database that would provide the names and principal location or residence of recipients of state funds, amount of funds expended, the agency that provided those funds, the program or activity of the expenditure, description of the purpose of the expenditure, expected and past outcomes of funding actions or expenditures, state audits relating to expenditures, and other relevant information.
The Iowa House passed this legislation in 2009 with bi-partisan support, but the bill was not taken up by the Senate.
The people of Iowa hold power over their government, not the other way around. The public should always be kept informed.
I am always eager to hear your ideas on how to not only improve our budgeting practices, but also how we can reform the way our government does business. Please stay in touch, and together we can work toward getting Iowa back on track.
