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.
Comments
Re: State agencies fail transparency test
July 7, 2009 - 8:38am — CitizenOpinionatedThere are a lot of similarities between the national liberals and the North Carolina liberals...
Re: State agencies fail transparency test
July 7, 2009 - 8:37am — CitizenOpinionatedAs 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
July 7, 2009 - 8:32am — CitizenOpinionatedNo I call it lying to thousands of Americans about the repercussions of the Stimulus Package - only for no results as promised!
Re: Transparency - What does it really mean?
July 7, 2009 - 8:23am — bnartistYou may indeed be confused. This post is about State agency transparency.
Re: State agencies fail transparency test
July 7, 2009 - 8:21am — greenswampI 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
July 7, 2009 - 8:30am — CitizenOpinionatedSorry 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: State agencies fail transparency test
July 7, 2009 - 8:06am — bnartistI 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?
July 7, 2009 - 8:01am — CitizenOpinionatedI think you have me confused - I am not associated with BlueNC or work for the Democratic Party like Gosh.
Obama/Biden - Liars or Careless?
July 7, 2009 - 7:59am — CitizenOpinionatedLiberals 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
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
July 7, 2009 - 7:48am — CitizenOpinionatedWow 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?
July 7, 2009 - 7:08am — bnartistPosting 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
July 6, 2009 - 10:07pm — greenswampYou 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?
July 6, 2009 - 9:05am — CitizenOpinionatedAccording to the leader of the Democrat Party - President Obama defines transparency as...
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...
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
July 5, 2009 - 12:29pm — greenswampIf 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
July 4, 2009 - 7:25pm — PaulTerrellThe 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
July 4, 2009 - 8:33am — greenswampIs 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
July 3, 2009 - 8:24pm — JPQuickGosh,
Sounds like your research did not pan out...
Re: State agencies fail transparency test
July 3, 2009 - 8:07pm — Gosh (not verified)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
July 3, 2009 - 7:47pm — JPQuickGosh,
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
July 3, 2009 - 7:15pm — Gosh (not verified)Only? As opposed to a higher or lower grade?
Think carefully before answering as you just provided proof of transparency.
Re: State agencies fail transparency test
July 3, 2009 - 7:00pm — JPQuickI 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
July 3, 2009 - 6:20pm — Gosh (not verified)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
July 3, 2009 - 5:52pm — PaulTerrellThis 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.