Colorado Spending Transparency

COST just discovered that Colorado’s Department of Human Services, on behalf of taxpayers, paid Radio Disney $1010 for “other marketing expenses.” COST has no idea what taxpayers received because the Web site provides no explanation.

Governor Bill Ritter cuts funding for Higher Education and eliminates tax credits for seniors to balance Colorado’s budget.  Yet according to the Associated Press, Ritter spends millions lobbying governmentfor programs taxpayers can’t afford.  COST’s own Amy Oliver Cooke and champion of taxpayers Rep Kent Lambert are quoted in the article. 

If taxpayers want to investigate further on the Governor’s transparency Web site TOP, don’t waste your time.  Lobbying expenditures aren’t available – even in the aggregate.

Colorado’s Future, a group that wants to make the citizen’s initiative process more difficult, will be hosting a meeting in Greeley on December 1.  According to Chairman Bob Tointon, some 500 community leaders and elected officials from the Greeley area have been invited to participate in the 3 hour meeting, which he hopes will lead to a “consensus” about constitutional reform.

According to a Greeley Tribune article, the group hopes to appeal to the grassroots in order to win voter approval for a ballot measure possibly as early as next fall.

There’s one problem.  The grassroots aren’t invited.  This is an invitation only event.  The Tribune writes: “Because it is by invitation only, the meeting is not open to the public.”

COST thinks this may be a violation of Colorado’s Sunshine Law which states:

(d) “State public body” means any board, committee, commission, or other advisory, policy-making, rule-making, decision-making, or formally constituted body of any state agency, state authority, governing board of a state institution of higher education including the regents of the university of Colorado, a nonprofit corporation incorporated pursuant to section 23-5-121 (2), C.R.S., or the general assembly, and any public or private entity to which the state, or an official thereof, has delegated a governmental decision-making function but does not include persons on the administrative staff of the state public body.
(2) (a) All meetings of two or more members of any state public body at which any public business is discussed or at which any formal action may be taken are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times.
(b) All meetings of a quorum or three or more members of any local public body, whichever is fewer, at which any public business is discussed or at which any formal action may be taken are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times.

Our guess is that with an invitation list of 500, there will be more than 3 elected County Commissioners, City Council members and/or state legislators.  If that’s the case, then we’ll be there too because transparency is more than just how government spends our money.  It’s about open government in all areas.

Apparently the state provides $500 lunches and taxpayers don’t need to know about them according to State Controller David McDermott.

The Denver Post reports that State Rep. BJ Nikkel, sponsor of the Colorado Taxpayer Transparency Act, accuses McDermott of violating the spirit of the law, violating taxpayer trust and violating transparency.

It’s easy to see Rep Nikkel’s point when McDermott is the information gatekeeper and drops gems like this: “‘We really don’t need people to search for the $500 (lunch). We need them to know what’s really happening with their government.’”

The point of transparency is that it is not up to McDermott to decide how much information taxpayers need.  It is up to taxpayers, and they want detailed financial information.

McDermott also cites an old computer system as to why he can’t provide detailed information.  Seems funny that a state like Colorado on the cutting edge of green technology can’t compete with dozens of other states that show their taxpayers how their money is spent.

We’ve warned elected officials before.  Oppose transparency, and pay a political price later. Transparency Czarina Amy Oliver Cooke reports that our predication came true as voters in Greeley Evans School District 6 overwhelming opposed 3A, a massive, forever property tax increase. 

Ridiculous amounts of money and institutional support can’t overcome the will of voters who simply want to know how their tax dollars are spent. 

At least one district says no taxation without information!