Allegan County, MI — Michigan’s
economic recovery efforts received a major boost recently, with $1.35
billion awarded to Michigan battery and electric vehicle projects and a
$2 billion cash infusion for the Cash for Clunkers program, benefiting
the ailing auto industry. But how will we know if the $1.35 billion
yields the predicted 6,800 jobs in the next 18 months? And what about
the recovery funds that Michigan has already received; has this money
been put to good use? Given President Obama's promise of a transparent
and accountable recovery, why is it so hard to find answers to these
questions?
State governments are responsible for implementing about half of the
$500 billion in federal spending contained in the economic stimulus
program enacted by Congress earlier this year. One would expect to see
governors doing everything possible to publicize these big money flows
and the jobs they are creating.
Yet a recent report published by the non-profit research group Good
Jobs First finds that most states, including Michigan, are doing a poor
job in reporting details on stimulus spending on the websites they have
created precisely to educate the public about the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Good Jobs First rated each state on how good its official stimulus Web
site is in providing data on the numerous categories of ARRA funding,
on the geographic distribution of spending around the state and on
specific spending projects, especially those being carried out by
private contractors. On a scale of 0 to 100, Michigan scored 35.
That’s better than average — tied with 15th place — but there is still
much room for improvement.
There are some simple steps that Michigan can take to make its ARRA Web site more effective:
• Put a summary of key information about ARRA spending at the top of
the home page of the site. A clear bar graph, pie chart, or table
showing the main spending flows goes a long way in helping the user see
what the act is all about.
• Provide a map or a table showing how overall ARRA spending and the
amounts in key categories are being distributed around the state.
• Along with information on spending streams, provide information on
individual projects being funded by those programs, such as a specific
transit improvement or weatherization effort.
• For projects carried out by private contractors, be open about the
contract award process and the identity of the companies that win
bidding competitions. Post the bids and the details, including the full
text, of the contract awarded to the winner.
• Include employment data in project reporting.
• Make clear when individual projects began work (or are expected to
start), how long they are expected to run and what percentage was
complete as of the latest reporting date.
• Incorporate standard Web features such as a search engine and a site map to make the site as user-friendly as possible.
• Centralize information on the main site, rather than requiring users
to engage in an online scavenger hunt across agency web pages.
• Provide readily accessible information about the ways that
individuals, organizations and businesses can apply for stimulus grants
and contracts. This should include contact information and selection
criteria.
Most of these recommendations are simply matters of good web design and
best practices in government transparency, but the impact of these
efforts can be far-reaching. Showing what government is doing to
address the recession can bolster public confidence in the economy and
hasten the process of recovery.
— Kara Rumsey is a public interest advocate at PIRGIM, a non-profit,
good government watchdog group. The Good Jobs First report and an
appendix on each state can be found online at
www.goodjobsfirst.org/stimulusweb.cfm
