Transparency boosts trust in government

Given the tremendous challenges we're facing as a state and as a nation, the benefits of transparency should be recognized in any effort to improve the quality of government and strengthen the public trust. When citizens can see how public money is spent and how decisions that affect them are made, elected officials are usually more accountable and tend to better pursue the interests of those they serve. Plus transparency helps safeguard the public trust, which is critical at a time when many are losing trust in government.

This week, March 14-20, is National Sunshine Week. It's an annual effort that promotes the cause of open government and encourages discussion on the benefits of laws that provide citizens with access to public records ('sunshine laws'). It's observed primarily by the media, but observers also include taxpayer groups, citizen-activists and others interested in 'the public's right to know.'

In recent years, South Carolina has made significant strides in the area of open government — specifically with spending transparency. It was two years ago this month that the state launched its government spending transparency Web site, giving citizens click-of-a-mouse access to details about individual expenditures by more than 80 state agencies. When I first proposed a government transparency Web site, the idea met with much resistance in Columbia. Some said it would be a costly project that the state could ill-afford, and others said there would be little public interest for such information. We've disproven both of those arguments. We were able to create the site with no additional funding, and it has received tens of thousands of visitors since its inception. Taxpayer groups, news reporters and average, everyday citizens have told me they've found the information useful and interesting.

(While we're always looking for ways to improve the site, it's nonetheless become a model used by other states, and my office is currently working with Michigan legislators who hope to emulate our approach in their state.)

Over the past year, my staff and I have expanded this transparency initiative to include local governments. We've asked cities, counties and school districts to begin voluntarily posting their check registers on the Web.

At the time of this writing, 19 local governments ranging in size from the city of Chesnee to Charleston County have begun doing so, showing it is neither costly nor difficult. One early county to join this initiative, Anderson, has been recognized as one of the most transparent county governments in the entire nation, and now offers to assist any local government wishing to follow suit.

These 19 local governments should be applauded for not only showing this level of respect for the taxpayers they serve, but also for helping usher in a new era of more transparent government in South Carolina.

In addition, a law passed by the General Assembly calls for school districts in S.C. to post detailed financial information on the Web, and I have been working with the state Department of Education and local school districts to help them put their check registers online. At least one school district has done so, and several more will put online the details of their spending within several weeks.

There's also a movement afoot to begin requiring state-supported colleges and universities to begin putting their individual expenditures online. Like any efficiency reform, this movement is meeting stiff opposition, as lobbyists for the colleges and universities are arguing that such a requirement would be too costly. But, again, I'd argue that they are overstating the cost, and the minimal cost involved would certainly be well worth it.

Of course, spending transparency is just one aspect of open government. While we've made significant strides here in South Carolina, government officials at all levels would be wise to use this week's observance to consider ways to pull back the curtains of government, whether it's putting a government check register online, finding a way to broadcast a town council meeting or holding important congressional debates or negotiations in the open.

Admittedly, transparency won't cure all that ails us, but at least it can be part of the cure.

Richard Eckstrom is South Carolina's comptroller general.