The Problem

Budgeting and ethics problems continue to compound in Illinois. The state’s budget deficit tops $9 billion, spending continues to surge, and there is little to no transparency as to where—and to whom—tax dollars are going. This must be checked and stopped.

Our Solution

Implementing statewide transparency and creating a Council on Efficient Government (CEG) would assist Illinois government in saving a substantial amount of money and streamlining government processes, while at the same time holding elected officials to a higher standard of accountability. These are simple, nonpartisan cost-cutting tools. Establishing transparency and a CEG would benefit all of Illinois – taxpayers, families, businesses and government – and provide critical tools for building responsible budget management, procurement and honest accounting.

A comprehensive transparency program would inject sunlight into the budget process and open up the books in an online searchable database. The site would provide a complete, itemized and clear description of all the state’s expenditures including, but not limited to, all contracts, vendors, and grants. In addition, all expenditures would have a detailed account of the payment’s purpose and who authorized the payment.

A Council on Efficient Government would provide yet another tool to foster transparency, accountability and efficiency into the government process. At its core, Illinois’s CEG would facilitate the regular, wholesale review of state government activities with an eye toward right-sizing government through competition and privatization. It would drive institutional reform and promote transparent best business practices in government. In so doing, the CEG would spur innovation in the way state agencies deliver services to Illinois taxpayers.

Why this Works

Implementing both statewide spending transparency and a government efficiency board would establish a win-win situation for government, taxpayers, families and businesses—and it would also save precious state resources. These measures are crucial in getting Illinois onto a successful path of recovery, savings, and prosperity.

Both transparency and a CEG would help alleviate the long list of problems facing Illinois and assist in reforming current Illinois government into a better, more accountable and open government. These reforms would not only clean up government spending and foster accountability; they are also the foundation of ethics reform in Illinois.

Other states have experienced enormous success—and saved significant money—by establishing transparency standards and efficiency boards. Illinois desperately needs political reform, and these are two practical, common-sense steps that would generate bipartisan support. Sometimes, you can do well by doing good, generating financial value while offering significant reform. Illinois political leaders should take the opportunity to do so.