Transparency -- A Two Way Street

Thank you Secretary Kirwan!

You might already know that ONE Massachusetts has a commitment to work for a more transparent, accessible and accountable state and local policy-making process. Toward that end, Yawu Miller on behalf of ONE Mass has submitted testimony to the Governor’s Public Integrity Task Force and Boston City Council on the importance of  transparency in the policy making process.  

It has become clear to us that public support for government increases when people know that their taxes are assessed in a way that’s fair and that the revenues our government collects are being spent wisely.

Whether you’re talking about the municipal level or the state level, information on budgets is often not easy to find.

Well, we opened Governor Patrick’s House 1 today to find on the front page the following:

The Governor's award-winning budget document comprises hundreds of pages of background and supporting materials, including:

• A description of the overall budget, the challenges faced in developing the budget and the solutions employed to meet them
• In-depth policy documents describing the proposals embedded in the budget
• Detailed historical information on budget levels and spending by department and spending account
  

The Budget Navigation Guide is designed to help users navigate the state budget and find the information most important to them. The Guide contains a brief explanation of the budget's contents, describing what information can be found in each area. 

And the information is easier to find.

Now, all we have to do is use the information to advocate with the House and Senate for the kinds of reforms and repairs that are needed to support and sustain our communities and keep them healthy. And then figure out how to pay for them.