Archive for Needs Accountability
You are browsing the archives of Needs Accountability.
Raises in Chicago Public Schools or Not?
Check out this revealing (and entertaining) story by Chicago Reader’s Ben Joravsky about the maze of Chicago Public Schools spending and the difficulties in figuring out exactly where all the tax dollars are going and why.
Joravsky’s piece, “A …
If Companies Won’t Do Business with Illinois, What’s Next?
Shore Galleries Inc. refused to ship bullets to the Illinois Department of Corrections unless the state paid the vendor upfront, according to a report from the Herald Review today. Currently, the state owes the Lincolnwood firm $6,000, and they don’t …
Government Salaries vs. Private Sector Salaries
USA Today highlights yet another good reason for government spending transparency:
Average federal salaries exceed average private-sector pay in 83% of comparable occupations.
Citizens want transparent government for many reasons, and being able to easily review government salaries – at …
Alderman Wants More Transparency in Quincy
The Quincy Herald Whig reports Alderman Paul Havermale, R-3, has initiated talks about bringing more transparency to city government in Quincy, “asking city officials to consider some steps to increase “transparency” in city government.”
Havermale remarked, “With as …
Illinois Accountability Portal
The January 2010 deadline has come and gone, yet we still don’t see legislators’ salary information posted on the state’s Illinois Accountability Portal.
If you’re interested in seeing salary information for all state employees — benefits data included — …
Is This Really Asking Too Much?
Rep. Renee Kosel introduced legislation (HB5483) which would amend the current Open Meetings Act and require “a public body to make proposed minutes of an open meeting available for public inspection within 8 business days after the meeting …
Cook County Checks Online
After passing a transparency resolution about a year ago, Cook County has posted its check registry online and appears to be embracing spending transparency policy, describing their move as an “Open County Initiative,” which is “part of Cook …
New Piglet Book Exposes IL State Spending
Batman, car racing, and giant tubs for bass fishing…see what we found in our 2010 Piglet Book, detailing some of the wasteful spending going on in Illinois.
Highlights include:
- $6,500 for a tub of live bass. The state paid
…
Gov. Quinn’s Budget Transparency?
Ryan Keith from the GateHouse News Service reports “Gov. Pat Quinn wants more time to give his budget address — and promises to give a public glimpse of the state’s budget situation before that.”
Although state law requires Quinn to …
Medicaid Transparency
Do you know how your tax dollars are being used to fund Medicaid? Doubtful.
Yet, promising legislation (HB 5241) introduced by Illinois State Legislator Patti Bellock calls for more transparency in Illinois’s Medicaid program, and specifically states it …
