Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26), sponsor of S-445, discussing The Transparency in Government Act. Pennacchio is joined by Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean (R-21) and Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform.
A full quality version of the video can be downloaded from www.senatenj.com/uploads/transparency.wmv.
Update - January 2010
The Transparency in Government Act has been reintroduced for the 2010-2011 legislative session. The legislation, formerly S-445 in the 2008-2009 session, has been designated S-708 in the current session.
State Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-Morris/Passaic) responded today to Governor Corzine’s reaction to the arrests on corruption of various elected officials by challenging him to once again open the books.
“Governor, it is always about money. If you want to find corruption, follow the money,” said Pennacchio. “It’s time that each and every single dime of money publicly spent should have total and open transparency. Let’s start with the $17 billion in Federal stimulus money whose designations still have yet to be explained.”
Congressional Democrats Echo Pennacchio’s Calls to Keep Promise of Transparency
Eight days have passed since Senator Joe Pennacchio, R-Morris and Passaic Counties, asked Governor Corzine when he intends to keep his promise of transparency in the spending of $17 billion of federal stimulus money. The governor’s stimulus Web site, http://www.recovery.nj.gov, is almost useless to average taxpayers who want to track which counties, communities and projects are getting money that is supposed to spur job creation.
“The Star-Ledger reports today that two Congressional Democrats called for real openness and accountability in the $700 billion financial sector bailout,” Senator Pennacchio said. “According to news reports, a special inspector general can’t get information about how Wall Street banks are spending the money.”
Senator Joe Pennacchio said he has begun counting the days it takes Governor Jon Corzine to account for the $17 billion in federal stimulus money that is being sent to New Jersey. He issued his first call for the governor to disclose where stimulus money is going on July 15.
“The Corzine administration knows by now exactly where it expects to spend most or all of the stimulus money,” Pennacchio said. “The governor and the president have promised full transparency in the spending of this aid, which is supposed to put our economy back on its feet, not provide the governor with an election-year goody bag for his supporters.
“So where’s the disclosure?” Pennacchio said. “The governor’s Web site, http://www.recovery.nj.gov/ is as transparent as a lump of coal.
New Jersey’s taxpayers deserve the ability to see for themselves exactly how their money is being spent. Beyond that, they deserve a clear, accurate and timely explanation of how Recovery Act funds will produce positive results in the effort to restore New Jersey’s economy.
The unfulfilled promise of transparency on Governor Corzine’s federal stimulus website, http://www.recovery.nj.gov/
Senator Joe Pennacchio, prime sponsor of the Transparency in Government Act, issued the following statement about the governor’s unmet promise of transparency in the spending of $17 billion in federal stimulus funds, and urged the governor immediately to show county-by-county, community-by-community and project-by-project how he expects stimulus money to be allocated and spent in New Jersey:
“Governor Corzine’s federal stimulus Web site is very attractive, but almost useless to busy taxpayers,” Senator Pennacchio said. “Messages remind us that taxpayers have every right to know on a timely basis how their stimulus money is being spent, but where’s the beef?”
Senators Say Governor Isn’t Telling Taxpayers Where He’s Spending $17.5 Billion in Federal Stimulus Funds
Senators Joe Pennacchio (R-26) and Marcia Karrow (R-23), both members of the Senate Budget Committee, criticized Governor Corzine today for a lack of transparency and accountability in regard to how New Jersey is spending $17.5 billion of federal stimulus funds. In an editorial today, the Asbury Park Press noted that New Jersey’s Web site — www.recovery.nj.gov — provides almost no detail about where billions of dollars have been and will be spent, especially when compared to Web sites now operated by Michigan and Florida.
In our continuing effort to demonstrate the need for the Transparency in Government Act, which would require all New Jersey government spending to be made available and searchable on an easy to use public website, here is Part 3 of our series, Your Tax $$$ at Work? In this series, we present examples of how government bureaucracy hides the wasteful spending of taxpayer funds.
Your Tax $$$ at Work? Part 3 – Paying State Employees Tuition Reimbursement for Classes that Have Nothing to Do with Their Jobs.
Attached are actual payment vouchers that were paid by the State of New Jersey to reimburse government employees for enrolling in college classes like Introduction to Music, Theater Appreciation and Chorus I.
Asbury Park Press Editorial As Published May 13, 2009
Politicians often misuse nomenclature to obscure the true meaning and impact of the legislation they wish to pass. That’s not the case with the Transparency in Government Act, which has received lots of lip service from Gov. Jon Corzine on down, but little else.
Senator Repeats Call for Transparency in Government Act
Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-Morris/Passaic) was disgusted, but not surprised by reports that appointees of the Corzine administration refused to tell the Record newspaper of Hackensack how much money state entities make from fees charged by Ticketmaster.
Senator Joseph Pennacchio, R-Morris and Passaic, expressed disappointment that discussions of the Pennacchio-Codey “Transparency in Government Act” in the State Government Committee have been postponed. The bill, which will create a website where all state financial information and other data can be easily and quickly accessed by the public, was scheduled for discussion in the committee today.
Cigarette Lighters that Cost $622 (Each!) for Sex Offenders and $2k for Hockey Equipment for State Prisons
In our continuing effort to demonstrate the need for the Transparency in Government Act, which would require all New Jersey government spending to be made available and searchable on an easy to use public website, here is Part 2 of our series, Your Tax $$$ at Work? In this series, we present examples of how government bureaucracy hides the wasteful spending of taxpayer funds.
Your Tax $$$ at Work? Part 2 – Expensive Purchases for Sex Offenders and State Prisoners
Attached are actual receipts showing that the New Jersey Department of Corrections paid nearly $4,000 to purchase six special wall mounted cigarette lighters for sex offenders incarcerated at the Avenel Diagnostic Center.
