"Shane Osborn, State Treasurer of Nebraska, has been aggressively promoting NE's new transparency website, NebraskaSpending.com. Treasurer Osborn has said he hopes to set a national example for transparency -- and with his new website upgrades, he is definitely a leader on the issue.
"The site originally featured agency budgets and programs, taxes levied, and a chart with historical budgets. New upgrades to the site now allow taxpayers to review $20k + contracts, $500K + expenditures, detailed information on 93 counties and data regarding Nebraska's Operation Investment Pool.
"Although I have been (rightfully) accused of being a data junkie, my favorite part of the site was Osborn's description of his job: As State Treasurer, my office is responsible for the receipting and disbursing of all state funds, which includes accurately recording these transactions and informing the Legislature through a yearly report on the state's financial picture. Further, as a public servant I believe elected officials have a duty to show the public how their tax dollars are being spent right down to the last penny.
"We couldn't agree more. Great work."
Bringing better transparency to government spending is an issue that I hold very dear and I truly appreciate the compliments from such an outstanding organization like the Sam Adams Alliance. If you haven't already, please take a few moments and check out NebraskaSpending.com and let me know what you think.
