At the very least, no matter who wins.. this stuff is GOOD! Openness brings answers and true accountability!
Mike Cox touts his latest “Reform of the Day,” discussing his plan to do what Governor Jennifer Granholm won’t—require Michigan’s public school districts to place all of their spending online so parents and taxpayers can see how their tax dollars are being used to ensure every possible dollar makes it into the classroom.
“Governor Granholm refuses to place public school spending online but that will change when I am governor,”
“By opening school districts’ books to let parents and taxpayers see exactly how their money is being spent we will ensure that education dollars best fulfill their one purpose—educating our kids.”
Mike Cox believes any public entity that receives state funding, including public school districts, should show how they spend tax dollars. The School Aid Fund sends billions of dollars to local districts and parents and taxpayers have the right to see how those dollars are spent.
In 2008 Mike Cox became the first elected official in Michigan to post his own Department’s spending, travel, contracts and settlement data online. Residents can visit www.Michigan.gov/ag and click the “Track Your Taxes” button to see how the Department of Attorney General spends their tax dollars. Contracts, rent, office supplies, salaries and more are available for open inspection.
Governor Granholm, who controls nearly $47 billion in spending, refuses to follow Cox’s lead by posting the rest of state government’s spending online.
The Federal government and more than a dozen other states across the country have placed their state budget online, leaving Michigan behind in the fight for spending transparency.
Even in my own campaign, I am reaching out for new ideas based on the creativity of the constituency. By placing all the information on the table, the voters can offer their best advise to whomever is representing them. A reform such as this opens new doors to efficiencies perhaps not yet considered by schools and their operators.
The Cox Team puts out the “Reform of the Day” which regularly highlights individual reforms from Cox’s 92 point plan to put Michigan back to work. Recently, Reforms discussed by Cox include his fight to place all state spending online and his battle to eliminate the cap on Charter Schools. Cox’s fight for school spending transparency is detailed in Point 52 of his plan at www.MikeCox2010.com.
