PORTLAND, Maine - Maine is one of the bottom 10 states in the nation on one measure of government transparency. A report from the Public Interest Research Group Education Fund gives the state a C+ for providing online access to government spending data.
People can access some of that data at the state's "Open Checkbook" website, but PIRG Program Associate Michelle Surka says much of the state's economic development spending isn't listed, and that's a problem.
"These are some of the biggest tax credits and tax exemptions Maine has," Surka says. "And it's not easy for ordinary citizens to understand exactly why these tax exemptions are being given to corporations, and how they're being used, and whether it's actually a good deal for Mainers."
She says Maine could become more transparent by posting more data online, and by also posting the expected results of its subsidies, such as job creation numbers.
