Colorado Spending Transparency

A reporter asked Colorado Transparency Project Director Amy Oliver Cooke, a member of the Colorado Long Term Economic Stability Commission, if real cuts in spending need to be made in Colorado’s budget where would she make them?  She answered,

I don’t know because I don’t have specifics on where the state spends its money.  That’s why we need transparency.  If we can see where every dime is spent, then all of us can make suggestions.  Right now if we had full transparency, we would have almost 5 million sets of eyes, stakeholders and taxpayers, engaged in the process — coming up with their ideas for efficiency and cost savings.  Vendors and suppliers could be providing goods and services in a more competitive process.

Amy does agree with Governor Ritter’s Budget Director that TABOR, while on time-out the last five years, has helped to cushion Colorado from some of the problems that other states such as California have.  Under TABOR, Colorado lawmakers could not spend like drunken sailors on shore leave.  As the Denver Post said:

Colorado is not California and is not in any danger of becoming California with its $24.8 billion budget gap, in part because of a different budget structure.

The fact that “we are obligated to balance the budget each year has actually protected Colorado,” Saliman said.

He never mentioned TABOR by name, but Saliman also credited “constitutional budget provisions that rein in spending.” The 1992 Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR amendment, controls taxation and spending.

With Colorado starting fiscal year 2009-2010 nearly $400 million in the red, this budget crisis is just another reason why this state desperately needs complete transparency in all levels of government.