Taxpayers can now review spending by 62 counties on Seethespending.org operated by non-profit Mississippi Center for Public Policy. The Mississippi think tank announced the update to the website today at a press conference. Taxpayers can access county records by department, payee/vendor, or type of spending. The information was obtained through public records requests submitted to Chancery Clerks throughout Mississippi. President Forest Thigpen stated MCPP paid all required fees for the information (Press release and speech transcript by Mr. Thigpen are posted below.).
The updated website provides the spending records of sixty-two counties for the last six years. MCPP provided some data covered by the update:
-more than 50 departments per county
-more than 125 spending categories per county
-184,000 in all counties
-5.5 million total records.
Mr. Thigpen said future updates will include state contracts, school district spending, and county revenues.
Unfortunately, and this will come as little surprise to JJ readers, Hinds County thumbed its nose at Mr. Thigpen and his project as it did not even respond to the public records request. Hinds County did this even though Section 25-61-5(2) of the Mississippi Code states:
"Denial by a public body of a request for access to or copies of public records under this chapter shall be in writing and shall contain a statement of the specific reasons for the denial."
Of course, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors and their attorneys as usual think the law does not apply to them. Mr. Thigpen said:
"However, not all counties have complied with our requests for spending records. Hinds County, for example, has not responded in any way to our request. The taxpaeyrs of Hinds County should demand that their county officials release the data. While most other counties have recognized that the people's money is the people's business, Hinds County has so far said to their residents, "What we do with your money is none of your business." It raises the question, "What are they trying to hide?"
What are they trying to hide indeed. Mr. Thigpen said "If they (Hinds) don't respond by this Thursday, we have prepared a complaint we will file in court against Hinds County to require them to comply.
Here is the video of the press conference. Mr. Thigpen demonstrates how to use the system at 14:08. WAPT's Scott Simmons asked some good questions at 8:28.
Fox40's Courtney Ann Jackson interviews Stacey Pickering after the press conference at the offices of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.
9 comments:
Any governmental body that refuses to cooperate with a legal records request should be assumed to be doing something nefarious. The elected officials under whose purview said body exists should be held personally financially responsible for ALL ensuing fines.
I'm sure Hinds has stalled specifically to force court action. That way the Sups can farm out more work to Precious Martin.
3.50: That's good thinking there. I sure wouldn't put it past them.
I contribute to the MCPP and urge every loyal reader of JJ (and JFP interns because y'all are using the database ... wink, wink) to do so also.
Plus if you itemize your contribution is tax deductible ... though I realize that probably excludes nearly everyone at the JFP who actually gets paid their pittance and certainly everyone there who gives their labor to Donna Ladd for free.
Not unbelievable. Hinds has continued under KF's watchful eye to continue to try and end-run the bright shining light of JJ. They didn't succeed here and I gather MS Center for Public Policy and Stacey Pickering will take this as an opportunity to run amok through their finances; as it should be.
Damn, all they had to do was to agree to tell the truth and be transparent. Wasn't that a plank in the recent Presidential election?
If President Oneterm has taught us anything it is that transparency is in the eye of the beholder.
Hinds County government has become nothing more than an ATM for the deuce-and-a-half duo of Mr. and Mrs. Precious Tyrone Martin, Sr. With Maw Wise clogging up the courts to prevent any real action, fighting them is like trying to wrestle a bull bare handed. Two bulls actually.
You can only imagine the lessons Ma and Pa Martin have learned from Ma and Pa Blackmon.
Oh I had to post this....
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