Public Database of All Government Spending Supported by the Left and Right

[Frodo]

On Right and Left, a Push for Government Openness

By JASON DePARLE
Published: July 3, 2006

WASHINGTON, July 2 — Exasperated by his party's failure to cut government spending, Senator Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma, is seeking cyberhelp.

Mr. Coburn wants to create a public database, searchable over the Internet, that would list most government contracts and grants — exposing hundreds of billions in annual spending to instant desktop view.

Type in "Halliburton," the military contractor, or "Sierra Club," the environmental group, for example, and a search engine would show all the federal money they receive. A search for the terms "Alaska" and "bridges" would expose a certain $315 million span to Gravina Island (population 50) that critics call the "Bridge to Nowhere."

While advocating for openness, Mr. Coburn is also placing a philosophical bet that the more the public learns about federal spending, the less it will want.

"Sunshine's the best thing we've got to control waste, fraud and abuse," he said. "It's also the best thing we've got to control stupidity. It'll be a force for the government we need."

But Mr. Coburn's plan, hailed by conservatives, is also sponsored by a Democrat, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, and applauded by liberal groups that support activist government. The result is a showcase of clashing assumptions and the oddest of coalitions, uniting Phyllis Schlafly, a prominent critic of gay rights, with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

[??????????]

Yes, but how much would it cost?

[J. J.]

Are we supposed to how much we're spending to monitor al Qaeda phone calls?

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Yes.

[adam]

Sounds good to me, it would make spending debates much easier.

[Nym90]

I'd support it. I think that public support for government spending would increase overall if everyone could see how much of their personal tax dollars go to each and every government spending program.

And it's the right thing to do, as well. We should have the right to know what our money is being spent on.

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Option 1 (normal)

[nini2287]

I support this but with 2 conditions:

1)  How much would it cost?

2)  Why would it only list 'most' government contracts?

[adam]

1)  How much would it cost?

2)  Why would it only list 'most' government contracts?

1) Seeing as how he is looking to do it over the internet, I hardly doubt that it would be something to reform our budget over.

2) Probably. This is the government we are speaking about. I would still like to know where "most" of my money is going (no, this is not an invitation for fiscal leftists to chime in and say "the pockets of the rich").

[MODU]

Are we supposed to how much we're spending to monitor al Qaeda phone calls?

No, which falls under the "most of what government is spending..."

[DanielX]

Yes, for all except top-secret projects (whose spending amount, but not what they are, should be listed).

[MODU]

They could list all spending per department, and then under that, they can list a majority of the costs per project under the deparments.  That way you "know" how much is being spent, though not where it is all going.

[J. J.]

Are we supposed to how much we're spending to monitor al Qaeda phone calls?

No, which falls under the "most of what government is spending..."

I could agree then.

[David S]

Absolutely!

[??????????]

Absolutely!

What about top secret programs?

[jokerman]

This is a great idea, I strongly support it.

[opebo]

Apparently I'm the lone voice of dissent here.