What's New

Oregon's Transparency Website launched at the end of 2009 and can be viewed here - http://www.oregon.gov/transparency/

OSPIRG's Jon Bartholomew is a member of the Transparency Oregon Advisory Commission that is overseeing the implementation of this transparency website so that it is as comprehensive and easy to use as possible. 

One omission from the transparency website is the lack of information about tax expenditures. Tax expenditures are the reductions in taxes through credits, deductions, exemptions and other methods that are designed to achieve a specific policy goal. Unlike direct spending, these tax expenditures have little accountability. More transparency of these programs would allow the public to hold them more accountable.

OSPIRG issued a report in February, 2010 titled "Getting the Best Bang for Your Buck - Transparency and Accountability Tools for Oregon Tax Subsidies" that details what can be done to achieve greater accountability of at least $626 million in corporate tax subsidies. 

In the 2011 legislative session, we will be working with legislative leaders and a diverse coalition to assure we will have much greater transparency and accountability of tax expenditures.

Brief Overview

The ability to see how government uses the public purse is fundamental to democracy.  Budget transparency checks corruption, bolsters public confidence in government, and promotes fiscal responsibility.

In the private sector, Internet search technology has revolutionized the accessibility and transparency of information.  We take for granted the ability to track deliveries online, to check cell phone minutes and compare real estate on the Web, even to summon – at the click of a mouse – satellite and street-level views of any address.  But until recently, when it came to tracking government expenditures online, we were left in the dark.

State governments across the country are changing that.  A growing number of states are using powerful Internet search technology to make budget transparency more accessible than ever before.  Legislation and executive orders around the country are lifting the electronic veil on where tax dollars go.  At least 19 states currently mandate that citizens be able to access a searchable online database of government expenditures.

These states have come to define “Transparency 2.0” – a new standard of comprehensive, one-stop, one-click budget accountability and accessibility.

Oregon, unfortunately, is behind the curve.  We're working with a bipartisan team of state lawmakers to change that.