Date:               March 11, 2008 

To:                  Members of the Wisconsin Assembly 

From:              Mark Block, Americans for Prosperity-WI, State Director 

Re:                  AB 862 – Government Check Book and Disclosure Act

Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin supports transparency of government spending at every level.  State Representatives Robin Vos and Bill Kramer; and Senator Bob Wirch have taken the first step toward achieving this goal by spearheading Assembly Bill 862 (AB 862) – the government checkbook and disclosure act.  AB 862 requires the Department of Administration to create a database and website of state expenditures over $100.00 so taxpayers can see exactly where their dollars are being spent.

It also requires state agency grants and contracts to be available for inspection through the internet by 2009. Passage and implementation of AB 862 would mean a comprehensive, searchable online database with familiar technology, for all citizens to utilize.  The federal government recently launched an easy-to-use website to track spending called the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 sponsored by Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Barack Obama (D-IL).

It guarantees the existence and operation of a single, searchable website from the Office of Management and Budget. This site is now available at http://www.federalspending.gov/ and could mark the beginning of a new era. Without question, spending databases at every level of government will help eliminate any perception of impropriety, since all budgets and expenses will be subject to public scrutiny. Even in the absence of perceived wrongdoing, these databases will allow taxpayers to review exactly how their tax money is being spent.

This type of database in Wisconsin will provide a tool to for taxpayers to propose more effective or efficient uses of their tax dollars.  By making government spending decision available to the public, state governments can leverage the expertise and ideas of engaged citizens who can provide feedback to elected officials, as well as grassroots groups working on fiscal issues. 

At present, Wisconsin has over $8 billion in total debt, an increase of three times the rate of inflation compared to the last decade.  It was recently reported that Wisconsin is again facing a structural deficit of more than $600 million. Now is the time for reforms that will regain the public trust and support AB 862, promoting transparency in government spending.  Today, technology allows governments to communicate with the people at a level of detail never before possible, and it is now incumbent upon government bodies to make that possibility a reality.

Transparent government is good government. And government should have nothing to hide from the taxpayers who fund it. For these reasons, Americans for Prosperity urges the Assembly to support AB 862, which enjoys strong bipartisan support.