What happens when government is allowed to operate outside the purview of the public? “Corruption on steroids,” as District Attorney Steve Cooley described the abuse of taxpayers in Bell, CA.  Cooley further described the situation in a news conference announcing the arrest of eight elected officials and government employees from the small town outside of Los [...]

During the last two plus years as transparency in government has made headlines, the Denver Post consistently has been on the front lines fighting for access to public records and criticizing those who deny the public’s right to know.
The Post continues the battle on Sunday’s editorial page with two columns encouraging citizens to demand transparency. The first [...]

Why does state government spend our tax dollars to advertise? Is it in competition with the private sector for customers? Worse than using our money to advertise programs that cost us money, is the fact that it is way too difficult to find out details about how and why the money was spent.
Channel 7 and [...]

Can a governor get a do-over for a veto?
In light of recent news reports about the state’s “revenue” shortfall, COST wonders if Governor Bill Ritter is wishing he could take a mulligan for his veto of HB 1287, a bipartisan bill that would have limited the use of state vehicles for personal commuting.  According to the [...]

The state cannot pay its bills and taxpayers get blamed. And no one asks where did the more than $18 billion in taxpayer dollars go.
The Denver Post reports:
Temporarily short on money, Colorado has declared a fiscal emergency and delayed payments to doctors and clinics taking care of the state’s neediest patients.
The usual suspects are providing [...]

In an email to a legislative staffer, State Representative John Kefalas (D-Fort Collins) directed her to use taxpayer-funded resources to send out what looks to be a fundraising invitation for Greater Good, a project of The Progress Group an organization with a motto: “Connecting Business & Community for the Greater Good.”
According to The Progress Group Web [...]

Currently, some state employee can use taxpayer-funded vehicles for personal commuting to and from work. Last year the Parole Department spent more than $1 million to purchase over 60 new hybrid sedans during “the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression” that saw the state raise taxes and fees and take more handouts from the federal [...]

The 2010 Colorado General Assembly passed judgment on 23 pieces of legislation, including one joint resolution, that claim some type of transparency benefit.  Seventeen passed.
Some were great such as Rep. Amy Stephens’ bill requiring transparency for gifts, grants and donations that pay for special interest government and Rep BJ Nikkel’s bill requiring more detailed information [...]

Colorado News Agency reports good news for taxpayers and bad news for state employees who used state vehicles for personal commuting. According to CNA:
Senate lawmakers drove home the point today that state employees using state owned vehicles should reimburse the government anytime the vehicle is driven for personal use.
The measure under consideration would delineate between [...]

Colorado’s Future, a group that wants to make the citizens’ initiative process more difficult, provided testimony yesterday on its manufactured “consensus” in support of SJR10-003, a measure that if approved by voters will curb Coloradans’ ability to amend the constitution.
At a hearing in the Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee meeting, Brenda Morrison of [...]