Open Illinois.org

What happens when taxpayer money is allotted to the giant voids known as “operating budgets?”  A recent Wall Street Journal article provides clear story.  It cites many examples: a $22 cell phone holder, an $81 payment to a plant tender, and a $2,792 laptop purchase.  Sure, these are small-ticket items in the grand scheme of things, but what happens when such spending goes unchecked?  Perhaps that’s when $84,000 personalized calendars and $24,730 Lexus leases occur, other items charged to the federal taxpayer. (You can check out that article here).

In Illinois’s case, this unchecked spending manifests itself as $2 million for 3D education technology, $1.5 million for methamphetamine awareness programs, $151,000 for state fair livestock awards, and a host of other items.  These and many other examples of careless spending can be found in the Illinois Policy Institute’s analysis of pork in the 2010 budget.

Unchecked spending has a snowball effect.  Once legislators realize they can get away with “incidental” and “discretionary” expenses here and there, more careless spending will naturally follow. Federal expense statements are only published in print and not online  HB 35 is one small yet important step to prevent the financial abuse that is going on in Washington from spreading to Springfield. 

Stay tuned here at OpenIllinois.org for the status of HB 35 and other steps towards Illinois transparency.