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February 15, 2009
The Governor Joins the Transparency Movement
Right on the heels of Treasurer Frank Caprio's efforts (suspiciously so, some might say), Governor Carcieri has directed the Department of Administration to make its data available online:
Governor Carcieri's administration is poised to announce the launch Monday of a mechanism for the public to search state spending records through a new "Transparency Portal."According to the governor's office, the new Web site — www.ri.gov/opengovernment/DOA — will enable "taxpayers to see how public funds are spent" by the Department of Administration "in a detailed, user-friendly format in the context of expenditure classifications with a few easy clicks."
Initially, the access will be limited to Department of Administration records. But as the hub of state government, DOA has oversight over state personnel, purchasing, accounting, budgeting, information technology, state leasing and capital-property management, statewide planning and legal services, so the potential range of newly searchable material is wide.
Now we just need a fleet of bloggers with nothing better to do than sift through government numbers...
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74 months into his tenure and all he can do is follow.
I wouldn't even say Caprio took the lead on transparency. Laffey made bold moves in early 2003 when he became Mayor, sending the "smoke-filled room crowd" into a fury. Union contracts and all financials were posted on the City web page. Town meeting were held to explain the details. I'm sure Caprio's move is all in anticipation of a general election battle with Laffey.
Laffey's election to the Governorship will do wonders for the state because he will hide nothing! Let's pray that he runs.
Posted by: George at February 15, 2009 9:35 PMTrue - Laffey does hide nothing. His contempt for those he governs seemed pretty transparent to the people of Cranston by the time he left office.
Posted by: rhody at February 15, 2009 11:47 PMAnother unsubstantiated attack on Laffey's character from the left...
Back that up Rhody!
Posted by: George at February 16, 2009 12:46 AMLook at the '06 election results...Laffey couldn't even win his own precinct. If he had won Cranston by the same margin Chafee won Warwick, he might have taken the nomination.
Posted by: rhody at February 16, 2009 9:41 AMThe people of Cranston got to know Steverino for four years, and got tired of his act. The sweeping mandate he entered office with disappeared - plenty of people who couldn't get him into office fast enough in '02 learned better.
Laffey took a political hit in Ward 2 because he valued principle over political expediency.
A Concrete batching plant was legally granted a permit to expand in the industrial part in which it is located. Some people who were dumb enough to buy property next to an industrial park didn' t want the plant to expand (NIMBY).
Laffey knew a fight would ultimately be costly to the people of Cranston at large. He took the unpopular position of keeping the city out of it.
We see from the results, that his successor Napolitano chose to settle out of court for $1.9 million (for a property barely worth $300,000) because Cullion had a case that would cost the city much more.
What you don't get Rhody, is that evey decision Laffey made and every action he took, he took with the entire citizenry of Cranston in mind. That is why selfish special interests have so much hatred for him.
He is exactly what we need to fix what is wrong with this state.
Posted by: George at February 16, 2009 10:36 AM