Sunshine Standard
All interested in government transparency, check out this new site, sunshinestandard.org, created by Sunshine Review.
The website aims to provide citizens and elected officials with model legislation and tools to launch reforms and expand the amount of information available …
Texas Model for Transparency
Yesterday the state of Texas launched its “re-branded and redesigned” Texas.gov, the state’s official website.
Now, Texans can “search for information that matters to them, perform online transactions with 24/7 assistance, use an intuitive and effective search function, …
Cook County Check Register Live
Want to find out how Cook County is spending your tax dollars?
Check out its check register here and see where your tax dollars are going.
ABC 7′s I-Team found some interesting expenses of note, such as $6,243.75 to CROE …
Illinois State Sunshine Website
Illinois state government has created a useful one-stop shop website at www.sunshine.illinois.gov with the goal of bringing more transparency to the workings of your state government.
According to the website, the state created this resource by starting with “Sunshine …
Over $3,000 for an Economic Forecasting Subscription
Using our transparency website, IllinoisOpenGov.org, I found that in 2008, the Illinois Department of Employment Security paid Global Insight (USA) Inc. $3,363.50 for a subscription to their economic forecast. Global Insight (USA) Incorporated is a forecasting company based in …
Over $10,000 for Information on the Labor Force
Using our transparency website, IllinoisOpenGov.org, I found that in 2008 and 2009, the Department of Employment Security spent $3,487.30 on EI&A subscriptions, $133.68 on EI&A travel, and $10,766.90 on EI&A computer programs. The Economic Information and Analysis Division (EI&A) …
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 — …
$1 Million Grant for a Siemens Factory in Elgin
Using information from IllinoisOpenGov.org I found that in 2008, the Department of Commerce gave Siemens Energy & Automation a $1,000,000.00 grant. This grant is part of a $5.7 million dollar funding commitment by the state to help finance the construction …
Over $5,000 for a Christmas Market
In 2008, the Department of Commerce gave the Carlinville Christmas Market Foundation (CMF) a grant worth $5,325.41. The CMF is a non-profit organization formed in 2006 that produces the annual Carlinville Christmas Market and aims to make it the “premier …
Over $4 Million in Attorney Fees
Using information for our transparency website, IllinosOpenGov.org, I found that in 2009, the Department of Transportation spent $4,258,997.92 on attorneys and related legal fees. The biggest recipients of these funds were Holland & Knight LLP, which got $562,334.95; …
