Demanding More Transparency in Government

A Bay City Times editorial enthusiastically echoed the Mackinac Center's rallying cry for government transparency: "Show Michigan the Money." Partly thanks to Mackinac Center Policy Analyst Ken Braun's continual efforts, more public school districts and local governments are posting their check registers online.

The editorial notes the importance of this development:

We admit that poring over these long lists of numbers and check descriptions can be as dull as watching paint dry. But when you’ve got a question about where the money went, there’s no better place to find out than a register of all checks written.

It’s a movement toward more transparency that all schools districts — all governments — should embrace.

Noting that the Michigan Legislature's recent move to increase public school districts' transparency is a bit behind the times, the Times asks, "Why not require it of all agencies and governments that receive taxpayer money? It’s the public’s money they are pending, [sic] and taxpayers have the right to see where it is going."

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