Fiscal follies: Kansas cost estimates draw criticism

By   /  May 24, 2013  /  Accountability, Featured, Finances, Kansas, News, State Budgets  /  No Comments

Cash Grab

By Travis Perry │ Kansas Watchdog

OSAWATOMIE — When lawmakers craft a piece of legislation, they rely on state departments to give an honest account of what it could cost.

But when it comes to making sense of these fiscal facts, critics say things aren’t always what they seem.

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Darling: Why is UW System’s Reilly still here?

By   /  May 23, 2013  /  Accountability, Education, Featured, Finances, Legislature, News, Scott Walker, State Budgets, Supreme Court, transportation, Wisconsin  /  1 Comment

Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, voiced her dissatisfaction with the president of the University of Wisconsin System at the Joint Committee on Finance meeting this week.

By Ryan Ekvall | Wisconsin Reporter
MADISON – When the co-chair of the Legislature’s powerful Joint Committee on Finance says it might be best if you stepped down, you know you and your agency are in for a long, hard day.
“I can’t believe Kevin Reilly is still there,” Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills said of the [...]

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Fixing financial mess in scandal-plagued town has cost NM taxpayers $250K so far

By   /  May 22, 2013  /  Accountability, City Government, Featured, Finances, Fraud, National, New Mexico, News, State Government  /  No Comments

A QUARTER-MILLION AND COUNTING: The state of New Mexico has had to take over the financial supervision of the border town of Sunland Park after reports of massive mismanagement.

By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog

SANTA FE — One year ago, a series of embarrassing scandals involving sex, lies and videotape made the New Mexico border town of Sunland Park the target of plenty of jokes, but there isn’t much for state taxpayers to laugh about as the bill for monitoring the border town’s finances pile up.

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PA Week in Review: Budget-making in a broke city

By   /  May 10, 2013  /  Accountability, Elections, Ethics, Featured, Finances, Fraud, Issues, Media, News Roundup, Pennsylvania, Pensions, Pensions, Politics & Elections, State Budgets, State Government, Video  /  No Comments

800px-Flag-map_of_Pennsylvania.svg

In a capital city teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, and the first city in the nation to be charged by the federal Securities and Exchange Commission with misleading investors, the Pennsylvania state government is beginning the process of putting together a budget.

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New Mexico’s audit crisis and the Dirty 59: “A culture of a lack of accountability”

By   /  May 8, 2013  /  Accountability, Featured, Finances, General Interest, Local Government, National, New Mexico, News, State Government, Wasteful spending  /  No Comments

THE DIRTY 59: The New Mexico auditor's office reports that 59 entities in the state that spend or receive taxpayer money are behind on filing their audits.

By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
SANTA FE – By law, every organization in New Mexico that receives or spends public funds has to turn in an audit each year.
“If a government is going to spend taxpayer money they should be able to account and submit a full accounting of those activities every year,” State Auditor [...]

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