State agencies fail transparency test


Most state agencies fall far short in providing taxpayers with access to information about their work, according to a new survey of transparency in government.

The John Locke Foundation this week unveiled nctranparency.com, an ongoing look at how state and local agencies in terms of making information available to the public.

Most of the 22 state agencies that were graded on the site were given a "D" or an "F". The state Department of Public Instruction earned the highest grade - a "C."

The foundation graded agencies on information that they make readily available online. Joseph Coletti, a fiscal analyst for the foundation, said in a release that grades were weighted to "reflect access to the most important information." Budget information, for example, was given greater weight.

DPI earned the highest grade among state agencies by making available its budget, contracts, the salaries of employees by job code, the salaries of top employees, and other information.

The Office of State Auditor, the state community college system, the Office of the State Controller and others received an "F" because they do not make much of that and other information available online, according to the site.

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Re: State agencies fail transparency test

There are a lot of similarities between the national liberals and the North Carolina liberals...

Re: State agencies fail transparency test

As expected right on cue -

More money needed - another Stimulus Package????

More lying to us!

Obama Adviser Says U.S. Should Mull Second Stimulus

Re: State agencies fail transparency test

but look at the dozens of hidden agendas and secrets from the last administration. This is called choking on a gnat while there are other issues that need to be addressed.

No I call it lying to thousands of Americans about the repercussions of the Stimulus Package - only for no results as promised!

Re: State agencies fail transparency test

Sorry that was Greenswamp - regardless both of yall fail to recognize the shortcomings and lying of the President!

Plus you referenced my examples being months old - you do know the stimulus package was passed months ago and that is a prime example of legislation that we were lied to about!

Re: Transparency - What does it really mean?

You may indeed be confused. This post is about State agency transparency.

Re: State agencies fail transparency test

I don't think that it was I who brought up national politics in my comments. It just stands to reason that when you attack this President that you adhere to the ideas of the former administration and I was making my point by comparing the two. You need to expect that.

Re: State agencies fail transparency test

I wasn't talking about the Bush administration. You know it, and I know it, and now you know that I know it.

Re: Transparency - What does it really mean?

I think you have me confused - I am not associated with BlueNC or work for the Democratic Party like Gosh.

Obama/Biden - Liars or Careless?

Liberals scream that Bush lied to them about the motivations for the War in Iraq, but at the time - the international community agreed that there were weapons on mass destruction in Iraq - partly because we gave them to them in the 1970's, but regardless they were not there and the liberals cried liar liar. Well, we all know the rhetoric of the Obama Administration, telling us the unemployment would not go higher than 8.9 and the Stimulus Package would work...well what happen...

Biden: We 'Misread the Economy

"The truth is, we and everyone else misread the economy," Biden told me during our exclusive "This Week" interview in Iraq.

With all due respect Mr. President, that is not true.

How come the same liberals are not calling Obama and Biden liar liar?

Double Standard!

Re: State agencies fail transparency test

Wow Greenswamp and Bnartist - both of yall attack the Bush Administration when I point out that Obama is breaking his campaign promises...

Firstly - Obama ran on the notion of "change and hope" from the last Administration and he won election. So I expected change from the last Administration.

Perhaps the Bush Administration was not upfront about the war in Iraq, but when it is all said and done - they now have democracy and I have not heard a single liberal express joy that Suddam Hussein is no longer able to commit the human rights offenses that he did on so many of his people.

Secondly, Biden admitted yesterday that the Administration "doom and gloom" scenario when trying to gather support for the Stimulus Package was misread. The Administration prognosis was completely off-centered, this after Obama himself and his entire "army of advisers" essentially lied to all Americans concerning the appropriate action to spur the economy.

Regardless, when will liberals stop looking back at what Bush did and start accepting responsibility that their great "hope" is panning out to be nothing short of a little man on a very large stage.

Re: Transparency - What does it really mean?

Posting months old links about Obama's first 100 days is a bit of a stretch considering he gave a 120 day pledge.

Transparency would be revealing that you were a paid campaign staffer while blogging "anonymously" for a candidate and attacking the opponent.

Hypocrisy would be calling for transparency while remaining opaque.

Re: State agencies fail transparency test

You may have one example, but look at the dozens of hidden agendas and secrets from the last administration. This is called choking on a gnat while there are other issues that need to be addressed.

Transparency - What does it really mean?

According to the leader of the Democrat Party - President Obama defines transparency as...

Government should be transparent. Transparency promotes accountability and provides information for citizens about what their Government is doing. Information maintained by the Federal Government is a national asset. My Administration will take appropriate action, consistent with law and policy, to disclose information rapidly in forms that the public can readily find and use. Executive departments and agencies should harness new technologies to put information about their operations and decisions online and readily available to the public. Executive departments and agencies should also solicit public feedback to identify information of greatest use to the public.

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

But now when it comes time to put his words into action we see the following...

During the campaign, Obama pledged to post legislation online for five days before signing it. But administration officials have said they don’t have to do that for the stimulus because the pledge applied only to non-emergency legislation.

Obama dodges transparency pledge

Even more examples...

Mixed reviews for Obama's transparency vow

Transparency in Obama administration?

So I guess if you are a Democrat or voted for Obama - that is what transparency means to you...double standard - YES

Hypocrisy of the largest degree...

Re: State agencies fail transparency test

If ACORN hands out grades with no rhyme or reason, I will criticize them too. I'm no real big fan of ACORN, but some of you must really love it to be bringing it up so much. As much as you would like for it to be, it can not be the right-wing extreme's end all argument to everything. Every time you bring it up, I know that you have run out of arguments.

Re: State agencies fail transparency test

The Democratic Party in NC has connections with such opaque corrupted groups as ACORN, MoveOn.org (George Soros), and the SEIU. If you want to criticize groups such as the John Locke foundation, you must criticize non transparent groups like ACORN and MoveOn.org or you are a ...... Hypocrite?

Re: State agencies fail transparency test

Is that a grading scale comparing our state to others or just some arbitrary grades that this "foundation" threw out there. I guess we need a little more transparency from them too.

Re: State agencies fail transparency test

Gosh,

Sounds like your research did not pan out...

Re: State agencies fail transparency test

I know what transparency means, and "I'm suprised [SIC]" you don't get the irony of your non sequitur in light of it.

There's no transparency in government and here's a list of what they're up to prove it.

Are you implying you have X-ray vision, better Google skills than the media or just get the weekly John Locke Foundation e-zine?

Now point to something invisible and really impress us.

Re: "A" is for Irony

Gosh,

Take a few minutes and try to find these programs in the state budget on your own.

After you fail, we can have a talk about what "transparency" means.

"A" is for Irony

I am suprised [SIC] that the UNC system only received a "D" within this report.

Only? As opposed to a higher or lower grade?

Think carefully before answering as you just provided proof of transparency.

Here's a list...

Re: State agencies fail transparency test

I am suprised that the UNC system only received a "D" within this report.

Here's a list of some of my favorite UNC pork-barrel projects that only a lobbyist could love:

$13,900,000 Funding for UNC Recruitment of Out-of-State Athletes
$1,500,000 Funding for UNC Center for Faculty Excellence
$560,000 Funding for UNC Institute for Emerging Issues
$550,000 Funding for UNC Furniture Manufacturing and Mgmt Center
$375,000 Funding for UNC Center for Sustainable Tourism
$220,000 Funding for UNC Center for International Understanding
$163,000 Funding for UNC Animal & Poultry Waste Center
$91,000 Funding for UNC Center on Poverty, Work & Opportunity

Over $18 million of your tax dollars at work for corrupt legislators and the influence-peddlers they serve in the state capital.

Re: State agencies fail transparency test

This is a well known fact that the state agencies under Democratic leadership are not open.

As opposed to where? Alaska? South Carolina?

Where do you get your "well known facts" anyway and is your source prominently featured when you bend over naked?

Re: State agencies fail transparency test

This is a well known fact that the state agencies under Democratic leadership are not open. We would see way too many illicit activities if the agencies were actually accountable and transparent to their taxpayers.