Could be done without any new appropriations
All Pennsylvania government spending could soon be online for everyone to inspect.
State Rep. Jim Christiana (R – Beaver) introduced H.B. 15 Wednesday to require all spending and tax revenue for state government activities to be made available on a public website.
“The taxpayers should be allowed to view where their money is being spent,” said Mr. Christiana. “It’s our responsibility to show them. It’s their money.”
He also said the database would “help find ways to consolidate, ways to save” and make the budget a “much more open process so more people, the media, 12.5 million people have access and are entitled to look at spending.”
The representative estimated the website could cost $148,000 to build, based on the costs of 37 other states which have created similar websites, but argued there would be millions of dollars in cost-savings through elimination of redundancies and the realization taxpayers would actually see what is being paid for.
A list of 23 spending transparency websites show costs ranging from nothing, through the use of existing funds, to $300,000. Pennsylvania’s current transparency website, the Contract e-Library, cost $456,850. The current database is managed by the Treasury Department and includes all state government contracts.
“Even with the budget, it’s pretty minute, pretty insignificant costs,” said Mr. Christiana. “All states have reported savings of millions and as far as the cost recently twelve out of the last 14 states have had no additional costs. They’ve used already appropriated money, staff already in place. I think we could do the same in Pennsylvania.”
A report from The Mercatus Center, an economic policy center in Washington D.C., found nine states were able to create transparency websites without any new appropriations and the average cost was $140,000.
Under the legislation, all state government agencies would have to report their spending and revenue sources, including executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. The website would be compiled and run by the state Treasury Department and would have an expected launch date of Aug. 31, if the bill is passed quickly. It is currently before the House State Government Committee.
He introduced the same legislation last year but Mr. Christiana said the bill met resistance in the House and from former Gov. Ed Rendell. With Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, the representative expects the chance of getting one bill through the Senate and House, and signed by the governor, is much better.
“Gov. Rendell had said he would not be willing to sign it,” said the representative. “They were concerned about the cost. That was the only dialogue we had.”
Mr. Christiana said he also spoke with Treasurer Rob McCord last year about the proposed website but treasurer raised concerns about outdated technology at the Treasury Department. Fortunately, said Mr. Christiana, the situation has changed.
In fiscal year 2010-2011, the Treasury Department was awarded a budget of $1,031,434, more than a 10 percent increase from the previous year.
“I spoke to them last year and they were concerned they didn’t have the technological infrastructure in place,” he said. “Their computers were outdated [but] in this last budget they received an increase to pay for that. Their concerns from last year should be taken care of.”
Mr. Christiana also cited research conducted by the Commonwealth Foundation, a conservative public policy organization based in Harrisburg, and the Americans for Tax Reform as supportive of creating such a website.
Darwyyn Deyo is a reporter for PA Independent. She can be reached at darwyyn@paindependent.com
