Sunshine Review is about state and local government transparency, engaged citizens, and holding government officials accountable. The Sunshine Review wiki collects and shares information about state and local transparency using a 10-point Transparency Checklist to evaluate 5,000 state and local government websites. Sunshine Review is a non-profit that collaborates with individuals and organizations across America to promote state and local transparency.
Does your town or city have a website? Can you find pertinent information online about budgets, personnel and other pertinent information?
Here is the Lake County Report Card. They have received a well-deserved D. But don't laugh until you see the Porter County Report Card. F. Yes, F! You think maybe some work needs to be done?
The idea is that you can look to see how your County and Local government grades out, then go to their websites and try to get the missing information added to the website. Given time, you will begin to figure out who wants to help and who doesn't and that will also help you make voting choices, right?
About the Republican Liberty Caucus:
Changing Congress by 2012.
What's new in Indianapolis RIGHT NOW???
Senate Bill 0151
DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
Precinct committeemen. Requires the county chairman of a major political party to submit, not later than July 1 each year, to the county election board the name and address of the party's precinct committeeman and vice committeeman for each precinct in the county. Requires the county chairman to update the information provided not later than seven days after a change occurs. Provides that the information is open for public inspection and copying in the same manner as other public records. Provides for a civil penalty of $50 per day, with a maximum of $500, for each day the information is late. Provides that civil penalties collected are to be deposited in the campaign finance enforcement account.
Current Status:
In Committee - first House
Latest Printing (PDF)
Anything that puts more people into politics and provides public oversight to processes of governance is a good thing. In County government this bill will make it plain to everyone who is in office and will hopefully encourage more people to get involved by seeking the office of precinct committeeman or their vice. Rattle the cage of your local legislator!
Sunshine Review, Legislative Purview, RLC coming to you...2011 is here but we are not much more than a year away from the primaries. Time to begin thinking about how you can be part of the solution rather than the problem.
The Lake County Chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus has already been formed and begun to meet. Would you like to be involved in being "the conscience of the Republican Party" and the push for transparency in government? Can you imagine a fully transparent Gary City Government? Had something like that had been in place back in the 1990's the city might not be bankrupt now. Can you imagine a Lake County where putting your three cousins and two aunts on the payroll would be public knowledge? Do you think perhaps the political corruption and outright theft might be hindered by the spotlight of public scrutiny?
