Massachusetts Ethics Reform Commission

Background

ONE Massachusetts is working closely with partners, Common Cause Massachusetts, and MassPIRG on the ongoing statewide Ethics Reform efforts.

ONE Massachusetts Project Director Yawu Miller brought the concerns of the ONE Massachusetts Leadership Team to the December 3, 2008 hearing of the Governor's Task Force on Public Integrity . An excerpt of his testimony:

We at ONE Massachusetts believe the following recommendations would significantly increase the public’s confidence in our state government:

1. Yearly state budgets prominently displayed on the Commonwealth’s website with easy-to-understand pie chart graphics as well as departmental budgets.

2. Detailed and easily accessible information on the budget as it’s being drafted, with clear information about how and when the public can give input.

3. Detailed and easily accessible information on the tax expenditure budget, which shows the cost to the Commonwealth of the exemptions given to individuals and businesses.
All off-budget spending and revenue should be placed on line, including all capital spending.

4. Each agency and department should post their proposed budgets, current and past-year budgets for comparison purposes. Agencies and departments should include program/service narratives that describe the program's intent, operational process and measurable outcomes and social value of each program/service.

Get Involved

For more information on these efforts, including a copy of ONE Massachusetts' testimony made at the public hearing of the Ethics Reform Commission, please contact:

Yawu Miller - Public Policy Institute Deputy Director, ONE Massachusetts Director