Annual Study Gives Texas Comptroller Nation’s Only “A” Grade for Online Disclosure

March

Texas received an “A” and bested all other states when it comes to government spending transparency, according to “Following the Money 2013: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data,” the fourth annual report of its kind by the TexPIRG Education Fund. “I have led the transparency initiative in Texas since taking office in 2007 because taxpayers expect and deserve to know how government is spending their money,” said Texas Comptroller Susan Combs. “We are always looking for ways to shine a light on spending in Texas. Currently, we are working with state lawmakers to expand transparency for local government debt and spending, which would allow residents to fully understand how much they’re on the hook for.” “State governments across the country have become more transparent about where public money goes, providing citizens with the information they need to hold elected officials and businesses that receive public funds accountable,” said Phineas Baxandall, senior analyst for tax and budget policy with the TexPIRG Education Fund. “But Texas still has room for improvement.” Officials from Texas and 47 other states provided the researchers with feedback on their initial evaluation of state transparency websites. The leading states with the most comprehensive transparency websites are Texas, Massachusetts, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, and Oklahoma. Based on an inventory of the content and ease-of-use of states' transparency websites, “Following the Money 2013” assigns each state a grade of “A” to “F.” The report describes Texas as a “leading state” in online spending transparency. The Comptroller’s user-friendly website allows visitors to monitor the payments made to vendors through contracts, grants, tax credits and other discretionary spending. The website also provides some access to information on municipal expenditures and spending at off-budget agencies. One way in which Texas’ website could improve is by providing information on economic development tax credits in a fully searchable format. Texas topped all other states, receiving 95 points out of 100 and the only straight “A” among all 50 states. This is the third consecutive year that Texas’ transparency website has earned an “A” level grade but the only time that it has stood alone as best ranked in the nation. Since last year’s “Following the Money” report, there has been remarkable progress across the country with new states providing online access to government spending information and several states pioneering new tools to further expand citizens’ access to this data. One of the most striking findings in this year’s report is that all 50 states now provide at least some checkbook-level detail about individual government expenditures. In 48 states—all except California and Vermont—this information is now searchable. Just three years ago, only 32 states provided checkbook-level information on state spending online, and only 29 states provided that information in searchable form. Thirty-nine state transparency websites now include tax expenditure reports, providing information on government expenditures through tax code deductions, exemptions and credits—up from just eight states three years ago. “Open information about the public purse is crucial for democratic and effective government,” said Baxandall. “It is not possible to ensure that government spending decisions are fair and efficient unless information is publicly accessible.” The states with the most transparent spending stand out partly because they are comprehensive about the kinds of spending they include, such as data on economic development subsidies, expenditures granted through the tax code, and quasi-public agencies. At least six states have launched brand new transparency websites since last year’s report, and most made improvements that are documented in the report. The best state transparency tools are highly searchable, engage citizens, and include detailed information—allowing all the information to be put to good use. States that have created or improved their online transparency have typically done so with little upfront cost. In fact, top-flight transparency websites can save money for taxpayers, while also restoring public confidence in government and preventing misspending and pay-to-play contracts. “The Comptroller should be commended for her ongoing efforts to improve transparency in Texas. Transparency standards improve each year and she will need to keep improving. For instance, off-budget agencies like toll roads and yearly diversions between state funds should become more fully transparent,” said Baxandall. “Given the state’s difficult budget choices, Texans need to be able to follow the money.”

AUSTIN

Gov. Rick Perry was joined by Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp, Dr. Brett Giroir and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Vaccines Senior Vice President Antoon Loomans to announce a major partnership creating a state-of-the-art influenza-vaccine manufacturing facility in College Station. This $91 million facility will anchor the Texas A&M Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing (CIADM), which will play a major role in securing our country from bio-terrorism and global pandemic through the rapid development and manufacturing of vaccines to protect human life. “Over the past decade, we have invested in innovative programs to prioritize research in our state at both our universities and in the private sector. This combined with Texas’ workforce and business climate have made us a leader in high-tech innovation, research, development and commercialization,” Gov. Perry said. “Not only will this center keep Americans safer from epidemic, it will bring in more than $41 billion to the state over the next 25 years and contribute to the creation of more than 6,800 jobs in Texas.” This announcement builds on a series of significant investments the state has made over the last decade to elevate Texas to the forefront of biotech research and development, beginning in 2005, with the Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine at Texas A&M University. Later, the National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing was established to create a skilled bio-pharmaceutical workforce proficient in therapeutics manufacturing. “We are honored to welcome GSK to Texas A&M as a key partner in the Center for Innovation,” Chancellor Sharp said. “GSK’s dedication to public service is well-aligned with the Texas A&M tradition of serving the nation and defining its future through research and scholarship. Equally important is the cultural and philosophical match between GSK and the A&M System, as reflected by GSK’s desire to collaborate with academia and the U.S. government, and their ongoing commitment to helping address global health scourges such as pandemic influenza and malaria.” The foundation established by these investments helped create the infrastructure necessary for Texas A&M to be designated by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department as one of three centers for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing aimed at enhancing the nation’s emergency preparedness against emerging infectious diseases. The Texas A&M CIADM represents the largest commitment of a global biopharmaceutical company to partner in Texas, and is the only one of the three centers to be led by an academic institution. “GSK is privileged to deepen our commitment to U.S. public health, as part of this unprecedented public-private collaboration to protect against pandemics and bio-threats,” Loomans said. “In Texas A&M we have found a partner with a rich tradition of service, and with pioneering technologies that will benefit the entire pharmaceutical industry in making vaccines available and accessible to all in need.”

BOERNE, Texas

Birders of all skill levels will have a chance to hone their abilities and contribute to the study of ornithology during April and May at the Cibolo Nature Center & Farm.   Master birders Tom and Patsy Inglet will offer tips and tricks that will help identify birds by their songs and sounds during Birding by Ear from 9 a.m. to noon April 20 in the CNC auditorium at 140 City Park Road. Participants will learn to recognize subtle difference between bird songs that help to determine which species they are hearing.   The workshop will introduce many of the common bird calls heard in the Hill Country and will include time in the field practicing bird call identification. Register online at Cibolo.org/calendar. The workshop costs $25, $20 for CNC members, and is free for those who volunteer to help with the upcoming Breeding Bird Point Counts.   Birders from beginners to old hands are invited to join the Inglets and other knowledgeable birders to conduct a breeding bird census throughout the Cibolo Nature Center’s four native habitats for three Breeding Bird Point Counts from 7 to 10 a.m. April 30, May 9 and May 14. The citizen-science survey techniques used to conduct this census can be used wherever birds breed.   Collected data will be provided to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology through eBird, Cornell’s online bird database. Participants should bring binoculars and a field guide. Participation is free, with interested birders asked to sign up online at Cibolo.org/calendar.   Celebrating its 25th year, the non-profit Cibolo Nature Center & Farm in Boerne is located on 162 acres of natural lands at Boerne City Park off Highway 46 just west of the Kendall County Fairgrounds. The mission of the CNC is conservation of natural resources through education and stewardship. Call (830) 249-4616 or visit www.cibolo.org.