Stimulus transparency site improved - and a request for assistance
Jon Bartholomew
Hi folks,
I just joined this listserv, thanks to Pete Forsyth.
There’s big news on the transparency front today, but I also have a request for help.
First of all, check out my blog post at https://www.ospirg.org/home/blog/ospirg-blog/state-stimulus-transparency-site-improved#HHIX8tBpGirxJjTxJ1oGYw
The state just did some nice improvements on their stimulus transparency website. But more needs to be done, such as giving us raw data.
Second, I have been appointed to the Transparency Oregon Advisory Commission that will oversee the creation of the state budget transparency website that was created by HB 2500.
I would like to hear from you about your thoughts on what that should end up looking like.
In connection with this, since I know we need greater transparency of tax expenditures, I am putting together an online database (via a google doc for now) of all corporate tax breaks the state administers. I would love to get some feedback on this database from you about this project. I have taken info from the Tax Expenditure Report and put it up there, but I am also adding columns asking the questions like “how many corporations benefit?” “do we have names of the corporations?” “how many jobs did this create?” etc.
Any feedback you can provide would be very useful. Please email me directly to get access to it, because until it goes live on our website, I want to know who all is viewing it. It can’t be edited by anyone but me, but I want to have control over its wide release, therefore, I want to limit how many people can see it for now.
Thanks for your help, and I would love to meet you all in person soon. Perhaps we can have a get together over coffee soon.
..Jon
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Jon Bartholomew
Policy Advocate
OSPIRG - www.ospirg.org
cell 503.358.3833
office 503.231.4181 x374
twitter http://twitter.com/OSPIRGJon