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Growing Economy

Stimulus transparency a work in progress — Federal spending Web site basic; state's improving

Austin Guest on March 8, 2009 - 9:39pm
Ever since Steve Watson had his first job at age 16 picking asparagus, he's paid his taxes. And he's always wanted to ensure the government spends his money wisely.

So naturally, when the 53-year-old heard that President Barack Obama pledged a new era of transparency with his 3-week-old $787 billion stimulus package, Watson was glad he could log online and check how every dollar was spent.

National experts visit Oregon to testify in support of precedent-setting transparency legislation

Austin Guest on March 6, 2009 - 5:59pm
Salem, OR — Amidst renewed calls from the Obama administration for accountability from private contractors on the federal level, the Oregon State House of Representatives is considering a bill that would far outstrip the contractor accountability provisions maintained by any state governments to date.

This Monday at 8am, leading transparency experts from the national Coalition for an Accountable Recovery (CAR) will testified before the Oregon House Business and Labor Committee in support of the bill, HB 2037, which would require private contractors in Oregon to disclose the number of employees and the wages, they pay. This is especially important with the federal government requiring transparency on jobs created through the $6.48 billion in federal funds set aside for Oregon under the recovery plan.

Recovery Resources Update

Nathan Newman on March 5, 2009 - 12:29pm
ProPublica has created a new site, Eye on the Stimulus, to track developments in the recovery package around the country.  The organization is also working with the morning news program The Takeaway and WNYC in creating Shovel Watch, a project to combine investigative reporting and public comments to help monitor recovery money from "bills to building."

A broad coalition of groups have signed onto these Principles for State Implementation of ARRA, which emphasize directing funds to benefit those hurt most by the recession and assuring that funds are spent in an open and accountable manner.