|
|
Evaluating the Federal Stimulus Program in Florida  The American people know that our challenges are great. They're not expecting Democratic solutions or Republican solutions -- they want American solutions.”
 These dollars will help our state avoid deep cuts and tax increases that would further burden Florida’s families and businesses.”
|
|
From Spectator to Participant - Public Involvement Early Steps: The Funding (video overview)
|
A Note from the Collins Center In response to the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression, the Obama administration injected $787 billion into the U.S. economy in 2009 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The administration promised transparency and to this end the federal government created Recovery.gov to ensure the public can track the budgeting and spending of stimulus money. States and local governments that accept stimulus money are legally bound to ensure an open and transparent process. As a result, state and local governments created websites to inform the public about state and local spending. As noted on the federal Recovery Act website: "With much at stake, the Act provides for unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability so that you will be able to know how, when, and where your tax dollars are being spent.” Florida expects to receive nearly $20 billion in federal stimulus spending. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist created http://flarecovery.com/ to inform the public about how the state is administering stimulus funds. In comments posted on the website, the governor says the site will serve as a "window” for Floridians to view the process and track the spending and its impact. He has also designated the Florida Office of Economic Recovery (OER) to manage this initiative. However, there is presently no mechanism for public input before the money is spent. While the federal effort to open up the books in an easy-to-access way is vital, local- and state-based efforts must also be part of the formula. Specifically at the state level, as stimulus resources enter government coffers, there must be systems in place to ensure not only the state's disclosure of public spending but a separate place for public discussion. Thus, the essential corollary to the Recovery Act is the need for independent community participation, commentary, and input that includes economic and policy analyses. We invite you to explore this site developed by the Collins Center for Public Policy. Its purpose is to open a space for monitoring and facilitating state spending. Here you will find updated news links to relevant information about Recovery Act spending as well as the opportunity to develop communities on select topic areas. The Collins Center is collaborating with the state's Office of Economic Recovery to develop an economic analysis of state Recovery Act spending, including alternative policy options. To this end, the Collins Center will be the "host” to virtual public discussions on spending decisions, ensuring broad multi-stakeholder input. On one hand this will create a space for participation by the very groups impacted by economic recovery. On the other, the space will provide ongoing information for the government and private sector alike. This space, and the information that flows from it, can be the platform from which alternative conversations and decisions are prompted. This is a public space for public input, established with the expectation that the best decisions made by government are duly informed by the citizens it serves. |
