Use these tools to keep leaders in check
Illinois residents have more tools than ever to keep watch over state government.
The latest is Illinois Policy Institute's Illinoisopengov.org, a searchable database that documents every bit of state spending the think tank could get its hand on. The information can be downloaded into spreadsheets that make it even easier for citizen watchdogs to scrutinize.
It's similar to accountability.illinois.gov, the Illinois Accountability Portal, established by the General Assembly thanks to legislation sponsored by state Reps. Mike Tryon, a Crystal Lake Republican, and Jack Franks, a Woodstock Democrat. That site went live before the January 2010 deadline specified in the legislation. It is more current but not as versatile as the think tank's tool.
It also does not yet provide some of the most interesting information that deserves our scrutiny - salaries and pensions for state lawmakers and judges as well as the value of benefits paid to state employees. That information is on Illinoisopengov.org, though organizers are waiting on Freedom of Information requests for more up-to-date numbers.
"We want to keep elected officials as accountable as possible," said Kate Piercy, the institute's director of government reform. "By putting this online, it puts the pressure on elected officials."
That's where each one of us comes in. This kind of scrutiny primarily has come from the media, special interest groups or vendors looking to do business with the government. Now is the time for the people to get more involved.
Information that once required a trip to a state office or a carefully worded request can now be accessed with a few clicks on a keyboard from the comfort of your home.
Are you curious about a company that seems to get a lot of state contracts? You can search by vendor. Do you want to keep tabs on double-dippers? You can look up how much Roland Burris draws in a pension in addition to his salary as a U.S. Senator. (In just a few seconds, we learned his pension is $121,747 so far this year.)
To be sure, raw data can't tell the whole story. Piercy said her team became curious when they saw a number of expenditures for bras, for instance. There was a simple explanation. They were for female inmates.
But accountability starts with examining the facts and asking the questions. We want to hear from those of you who put these tools to use. What have you found that looks like waste? What things would you cut to bring Illinois a little closer to a balanced budget? Send your ideas to opinion@dailyherald.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number for confirmation.
One recent governor sits in prison. Another awaits trial. Our budget deficit is $7 billion to $12 billion, depending on who's delivering the news.
Illinois is in a crisis of leadership and a financial mess. It's not your job to solve it. But it's everyone's job to ask questions, stay informed and challenge leaders. We have two new tools to do it. Let's use them.