Colorado Spending Transparency

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.