The Center for Transparent and Accountable Government

posted August 28, 2008

While "transparency" is a favorite claim of politicians who often intend only to obscure their true policy intentions, the concept is as old as philosophy and is enshrined in both the U.S. and Ohio constitutions, which require that a "regular statement of and account of the receipts and expenditures of all public money shall be published."

The Center for Transparent and Accountable Government is dedicated to enabling Ohio citizens to discover the basic operating data of all levels of government, including the state and its subdivisions, such as school districts and cities, villages and townships. Such data ranges from essential financial data to ordinary minutes and agendas, and includes the gamut of public records.

The Center for Transparent and Accountable Government is also the sponsor of the wiki, OhioSunshine.org, a publicly edited web site dedicated to easy availability of government data.

• -- Legislation and Voting Records
• State of Ohio Employee Salary Database
  
• Ohio State University's Highest Paid Employees 
• White Paper on Transparency
• Candidate Transparency Pledge
• OhioSunshine.org wiki page
• Viewpoint: Good government depends upon good information
• Testimony Before the Finance and Financial Institutions Committee

CTAG in the News

• Group Pushes For Release of OSU Salaries (1/5/09)
  
• Candidates Urged to Commit to Transparency if Elected (10/9/08)
• Cleveland Plain Dealer: Special congressional elections will cost $5.5 million (8/22/08)
• WHIO-TV: Watchdog Web Site Tracks Government Spending (8/15/08
  
• Columbus Dispatch: Short Takes (8/15/08)
  
• Columbus Dispatch: Group hopes site opens window to government (8/11/08)
  
• Gongwer News Service: New Think Tank Site Catalogs Public Records (8/11/08)
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• Buckeye Institute Releases State Employee Salary Database (2/2/09)
  
• Ohio State University Pays 154 Employees More Than $250,000 a Year
  
• Announcement Press Release(8/11/08)