LOS PAYASOS - GOVERNMENT AT WORK

A review by the 362,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU) of an online database listing Missouri's public expenditures found more than $2.4 million of taxpayer money spent for questionable purposes over the past eight years, including purchases made at bakeries, beauty salons, bra stores, coffee shops, and picture-framing galleries, among others. Nearly 7,300 NTU members live and work in Missouri. "Taxpayers should never be forced to finance bureaucrats' 'I love me' walls of framed awards and photos, nor should residents be shelling out for floral bouquets, beauty treatments, or caffeine fixes," NTU Director of Government Affairs Kristina Rasmussen said. "Clearly, no Missouri politicians could claim with a straight face that all of the fat has been cut out of the state's budget." NTU pulled expenditure information from the Missouri Accountability Portal (MAP), launched by Gov. Matt Blunt (R) in 2007 in order for taxpayers to see where their money is going. The state of Missouri spent $15,482.57 at Ann's Bra Shop from 2000 to 2008 for "professional services" and "clothing supplies." Over the same period, government employees spent more than $1.6 million at coffee shops, $387,210.14 at framing stores, $278,053.46 at florists and nurseries, and $70,849.02 at donut bakeries....Do you have this kind of accountability portal in your state? Looks like a great idea.