It’s time for state transparency for citizens

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We have never faced a more confusing time as citizens. Our elected leaders tell us how good things are, but trust in government at all levels is eroding.

As citizens and taxpayers, we see government taking more tax dollars from us but when we look around – we see broken roads, declining test scores for our children, scandals involving politicians, and virtually no accountability by our leaders. At the national level, members of the media attack the President and he responds. It’s hard to know what to believe.

When our country was founded, our leaders believed in ‘civic virtue’ – the idea that all in government should put their own interest aside and focus on what is good for the people. In fact, Mr. Washington, Mr. Jefferson (and nearly every Founding Father you can name) explicitly made the point that they made decisions against their self-interest to make America the exceptional nation it is today.

But the idea of ‘civic virtue’ has been lost. Politicians of all parties, ideologies and backgrounds focus now on how they can be re-elected and increase their political power, no matter the cost to the people.