Editorial: Committee's refusal to disclose state funds draws red flags

By: Editorial | Opelika Auburn News
Published: September 28, 2009

Here we go again … state leaders would prefer the public not have full disclosure on how public money is being spent.

Now why in the world would a person who is supposed to serve and represent the public not want the very public he or she represents not know how their money is being spent?

Alabama politics is far too hush, hush.

That’s why the ethics reform movement was made in Montgomery. It’s very disappointing to know that some lawmakers balked at such reform, rejecting it.

Snubbing your nose at ethics reform is like snubbing your nose at the people of Alabama.

Sorry, lawmakers. Your pedestal in Montgomery may be lofty, to a degree, but you aren’t better than anyone else.

Last week a state committee snubbed their noses at a proposal by State Treasurer Kay Ivey that would allow the public — the people who pay lawmakers’ salaries — more information on millions of dollars in grants given to by state lawmakers. One would think that if millions in state funds were being spent, then millions in state funds should be held accountable.

It’s our money.

The commission, known as the State Executive Commission on Community Service Grants, includes its chairman, Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom Jr., State Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, State Schools Superintendent Joe Morton, and Ivey.

Folsom is a Democrat, as is Sparks, who is campaigning against Artur Davis for the nomination governor. Ivey is campaigning for the Republican nomination for governor. It’s not unusual for party members to clash on ideas.

Regardless of who’s on what side of the political street, Ivey’s proposal should be a no-brainer.

Last week, the committee approved millions in grants for schools, volunteer fire departments and other organizations.

That’s great.

That’s what grants are supposed to do and we applaud these men and women for putting necessary dollars into these organizations’ hands. But the public has the right to know who got what.

You never know when red flags get raised.

Then again, disclosing the information could help the public have a better appreciation for how their money is being appropriated.

In this era where we must carefully monitor where we spend our own money, that’s why it’s even more important that the public has the right to monitor where the state spends its money on grants.

Each of these appropriations could be very legit, but the public deserves the right to investigate.

Why snub their nose at this simple right?