The Importance of Government Accountability
Dennis AuBuchon
March 05, 2009
Government accountability is often in the news as we hear about cost overruns on numerous government contracts or programs. This needs to stop. Cost overruns on any government program or contract is wasting taxpayer dollars and causes the public to have less confidence in how well the government is managing their money. Cost overruns do not just involve government agencies but also the private sector where government contracts have been awarded for programs or parts to replenish government inventory. Cost overruns are not a pleasant thing to address by government officials. Many times when cost overruns happen they reduce the availability of funds for other necessities which the government provides. It also increases the deficits if no adjustments are made.
Cost overruns can be controlled somewhat through improved government contracts and the monitoring of spending by private contractors. When any level of government whether it is local, state or federal issues contracts or creates laws it has a responsibility to assure several things. In regards to laws government officials should be held accountable for legislation that they initiate or vote for associated with the needs of their respective districts. Many laws are created throughout this country addressing the needs of citizens in the respective areas for which the law is applicable. There are times when we question why a government official votes for specific legislation and they should answer to those who have elected them. They should not only explain their actions but we as voters should ask for that explanation if we are not satisfied with the action they have taken.
Government accountability also enters the realm the approach government takes to address issues either before a local economy, an individual state or the country. Today we are in a situation which requires measures we have not seen in years. Our elected officials at all levels need to re-examine how they spend our tax dollars and we should hold them accountable for their actions. While we as individuals must have financial restraints, so must government. Granted there may be cases where some increases in debt may be needed to address critical issues in our economy but the decisions made must be on sound principles which have worked in the past. Some may say we as a country and the world have not been in this position before and we are treading on uncharted ground. To some extent I agree with this statement. However government at any level must spend wisely and with restraint for fear of making a bad situation worse. I do not want to present a picture that I want our elected officials to fail in their efforts for this would not be the picture I want to project.
Before getting into the details of government contracts it is important to discuss all government workers and their responsibilities. Many individuals work for government entities and have various jobs/responsibilities. Government workers include all those elected at local, state and national levels and all those appointed/approved by the respective legislatures. It also includes all those individuals who perform daily tasks to support our troops and government operations. While all individuals should be accountable for their actions it is important for those that work for a government entity to be accountable for the decisions they make and the work they perform. Government employees are paid through taxpayer dollars. This brings their work a step above ordinary individuals. As in any segment of society there are those that accomplish their responsibilities with utmost integrity. This perception is not always attained by society in general.
Many times government employees are at the mercy of jokes about work they perform and this I feel comes with the territory. We as individuals must understand that government workers are no different than those in private industry. Many of us have interaction with government officials and how they conduct their responsibilities has an impact on our overall impression of government officials. I am here to tell you that government workers always seem to get a bad rap based on someone´s bad experience. This gives a perception that all government workers have poor interaction with the public. This is just not true. There are many fine individuals who work for our government entities who we count on everyday to perform their function to help government run efficiently. Governments at all levels perform valuable services and if they did not do so it would be felt in our respective communities and our states, not to mention our nation.
As with any position for the government there are distinct duties and responsibilities to be performed. These responsibilities vary in importance dependent upon the position held. Senators and Representatives have a different set of responsibilities and should be held to a higher standard than most government employees. Their work is important as these officials were elected to create legislation and address issues affecting our country and the states they represent. The legislative acts which are initiated by these individuals must serve the needs of the public in general and not be focused on making themselves look good to their districts or states. This can sometimes be hard as hard decisions are necessary and are expected to be made even when the public does not understand or agree. This is why we elected them.
The remainder of this article will address government contracts and legislation. The process of obtaining government contracts is a complex one and has a defined process to assure that all those competing have an equal chance to be awarded a contract. This is great. The problem with accountability with contracts and legislation comes after the actions have been completed. Governments spend billions of dollars every year and to date many times there has been a lack of accountability of how various departments spend the money they are given. We as individuals must account for every dollar we receive and have defined records which are needed for tax records to pay our appropriate taxes. Government must be accountable not only for the tax dollars they receive but also the tax dollars they spend.
Thousands of legislation is enacted into laws through the signature of Governors and the President every year. The requirements that are incorporated into these laws must have the requirement to account for every dollar associated with creating the legislation and the enforcement of it. The accountability factor needs to be defined by government as a whole or individually for each legislative act. The key to the accountability factor is that adequate funds need to be adequate to assure their traceability for every tax dollar spent by any government entity. Those departments or agencies that have jurisdiction for specific legislation must be given the resources to assure accountability for the associated funds. Contracts issued by government departments must make sure several requirements are specifically written into all contracts. The first is to make sure the price for the services/products are reasonable and the source selected is the best resource to accomplish the objective. This does not always mean the contract should always be awarded to the lowest bidder as this may not necessarily be in the best interest of the public. Each contractor should have an equal chance of landing a government contract for which they are competing.
The next requirement involves the need to award contracts to those companies that can deliver the product/service within cost and on schedule. This is an important element to consider. Products or services either not performed or delivered per contract cost taxpayer dollars. This is where the accountability factor comes into play. Those responsible for issuing government contracts mush hold government contractors accountable to their terms and conditions. Some agencies do this quite well while others do not as can be seen in news events we seem to see on a regular basis when something goes wrong with a program or contract.
There are a few final points to be made involving government accountability. Congress and state legislatures have a right to question issues involving government contracts. The point to be made is that the questions should not be so detailed as to be an effort to micromanage contracts that have been awarded. This would be wrong. Government accountability does not and should not involve micromanaging government programs or contracts.
Today there are many fine individuals who work for local, state or federal governments or departments who accomplish their tasks with the utmost integrity. Knowing the responsibilities of government departments or organizations is a key factor in holding them accountable. Government departments, officials and employees must be held accountable for the work they do. Taxpayer dollars are involved with every aspect of government operations and each dollar spent should be documented as to where they were utilized. Sometimes government departments or organizations in the past have no accountability for tax dollars they have received. They sometimes do not know where millions of dollars were spent and this causes the public to lose confidence not only in the department involved but government in general. Departments have distinct responsibilities to accomplish and they need to have traceability as to where the money they receive was spent to accomplish their mission.
The last point to make is that when federal legislation is enacted which places a burden on states for enforcement, the federal government should provide the necessary funds to accomplish the requirements. Government often times creates legislation which cost state and local government funds that in many cases they do not have. This causes adjustments for services these entities provide and reduces the funds for critical services in some cases. The present financial crisis in our economy and the world should cause the federal government to think wisely before creating legislation which will cost state or local funds. The same applies to legislation enacted at the state level when it creates a drain on local funds to conform to the directives in specific laws. Overall government entities must consider the impact of legislation of other entities and the financial resources it will require to conform to requirements.
Cost overruns can be controlled somewhat through improved government contracts and the monitoring of spending by private contractors. When any level of government whether it is local, state or federal issues contracts or creates laws it has a responsibility to assure several things. In regards to laws government officials should be held accountable for legislation that they initiate or vote for associated with the needs of their respective districts. Many laws are created throughout this country addressing the needs of citizens in the respective areas for which the law is applicable. There are times when we question why a government official votes for specific legislation and they should answer to those who have elected them. They should not only explain their actions but we as voters should ask for that explanation if we are not satisfied with the action they have taken.
Government accountability also enters the realm the approach government takes to address issues either before a local economy, an individual state or the country. Today we are in a situation which requires measures we have not seen in years. Our elected officials at all levels need to re-examine how they spend our tax dollars and we should hold them accountable for their actions. While we as individuals must have financial restraints, so must government. Granted there may be cases where some increases in debt may be needed to address critical issues in our economy but the decisions made must be on sound principles which have worked in the past. Some may say we as a country and the world have not been in this position before and we are treading on uncharted ground. To some extent I agree with this statement. However government at any level must spend wisely and with restraint for fear of making a bad situation worse. I do not want to present a picture that I want our elected officials to fail in their efforts for this would not be the picture I want to project.
Before getting into the details of government contracts it is important to discuss all government workers and their responsibilities. Many individuals work for government entities and have various jobs/responsibilities. Government workers include all those elected at local, state and national levels and all those appointed/approved by the respective legislatures. It also includes all those individuals who perform daily tasks to support our troops and government operations. While all individuals should be accountable for their actions it is important for those that work for a government entity to be accountable for the decisions they make and the work they perform. Government employees are paid through taxpayer dollars. This brings their work a step above ordinary individuals. As in any segment of society there are those that accomplish their responsibilities with utmost integrity. This perception is not always attained by society in general.
Many times government employees are at the mercy of jokes about work they perform and this I feel comes with the territory. We as individuals must understand that government workers are no different than those in private industry. Many of us have interaction with government officials and how they conduct their responsibilities has an impact on our overall impression of government officials. I am here to tell you that government workers always seem to get a bad rap based on someone´s bad experience. This gives a perception that all government workers have poor interaction with the public. This is just not true. There are many fine individuals who work for our government entities who we count on everyday to perform their function to help government run efficiently. Governments at all levels perform valuable services and if they did not do so it would be felt in our respective communities and our states, not to mention our nation.
As with any position for the government there are distinct duties and responsibilities to be performed. These responsibilities vary in importance dependent upon the position held. Senators and Representatives have a different set of responsibilities and should be held to a higher standard than most government employees. Their work is important as these officials were elected to create legislation and address issues affecting our country and the states they represent. The legislative acts which are initiated by these individuals must serve the needs of the public in general and not be focused on making themselves look good to their districts or states. This can sometimes be hard as hard decisions are necessary and are expected to be made even when the public does not understand or agree. This is why we elected them.
The remainder of this article will address government contracts and legislation. The process of obtaining government contracts is a complex one and has a defined process to assure that all those competing have an equal chance to be awarded a contract. This is great. The problem with accountability with contracts and legislation comes after the actions have been completed. Governments spend billions of dollars every year and to date many times there has been a lack of accountability of how various departments spend the money they are given. We as individuals must account for every dollar we receive and have defined records which are needed for tax records to pay our appropriate taxes. Government must be accountable not only for the tax dollars they receive but also the tax dollars they spend.
Thousands of legislation is enacted into laws through the signature of Governors and the President every year. The requirements that are incorporated into these laws must have the requirement to account for every dollar associated with creating the legislation and the enforcement of it. The accountability factor needs to be defined by government as a whole or individually for each legislative act. The key to the accountability factor is that adequate funds need to be adequate to assure their traceability for every tax dollar spent by any government entity. Those departments or agencies that have jurisdiction for specific legislation must be given the resources to assure accountability for the associated funds. Contracts issued by government departments must make sure several requirements are specifically written into all contracts. The first is to make sure the price for the services/products are reasonable and the source selected is the best resource to accomplish the objective. This does not always mean the contract should always be awarded to the lowest bidder as this may not necessarily be in the best interest of the public. Each contractor should have an equal chance of landing a government contract for which they are competing.
The next requirement involves the need to award contracts to those companies that can deliver the product/service within cost and on schedule. This is an important element to consider. Products or services either not performed or delivered per contract cost taxpayer dollars. This is where the accountability factor comes into play. Those responsible for issuing government contracts mush hold government contractors accountable to their terms and conditions. Some agencies do this quite well while others do not as can be seen in news events we seem to see on a regular basis when something goes wrong with a program or contract.
There are a few final points to be made involving government accountability. Congress and state legislatures have a right to question issues involving government contracts. The point to be made is that the questions should not be so detailed as to be an effort to micromanage contracts that have been awarded. This would be wrong. Government accountability does not and should not involve micromanaging government programs or contracts.
Today there are many fine individuals who work for local, state or federal governments or departments who accomplish their tasks with the utmost integrity. Knowing the responsibilities of government departments or organizations is a key factor in holding them accountable. Government departments, officials and employees must be held accountable for the work they do. Taxpayer dollars are involved with every aspect of government operations and each dollar spent should be documented as to where they were utilized. Sometimes government departments or organizations in the past have no accountability for tax dollars they have received. They sometimes do not know where millions of dollars were spent and this causes the public to lose confidence not only in the department involved but government in general. Departments have distinct responsibilities to accomplish and they need to have traceability as to where the money they receive was spent to accomplish their mission.
The last point to make is that when federal legislation is enacted which places a burden on states for enforcement, the federal government should provide the necessary funds to accomplish the requirements. Government often times creates legislation which cost state and local government funds that in many cases they do not have. This causes adjustments for services these entities provide and reduces the funds for critical services in some cases. The present financial crisis in our economy and the world should cause the federal government to think wisely before creating legislation which will cost state or local funds. The same applies to legislation enacted at the state level when it creates a drain on local funds to conform to the directives in specific laws. Overall government entities must consider the impact of legislation of other entities and the financial resources it will require to conform to requirements.
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