04-10-2008, 05:57 AM
Recently in the state where I live we had an unexpected change over of leadership in the government. The old guard had run out of tricks to stay. There was a leadership challenge. The new leader had wanted to make many changes. Once he gets to office and is told the true state of affairs, the cookie jar is empty, he can't do anything he wanted. Sorry folks. No can do. We're all terrible sorry. We will have to all cut back and tighten our belts. I know this scenario has been played over and over again all around the world. Small provincial towns to big countries and Empires. I am sure you are all too familiar with it.
Why aren't the books open? Why is it always such a terrible surprise to those that take office that things are never the way they think it is? In this day of internet and computing resources we should be able to log onto to any government portal or government department website and see all the transactions taking place in real time. Wages and expenditure (in detail) going out. Taxes and other income coming in. The difference is the balance.
For that matter why aren't all corporate entities open as well. It would help stop tax avoidance. (yes, I know but humor me anyway)
It just seems sensible to me to know what the state of affairs is at any given time. Banks seem to know what is happening to all their billions of accounts and transactions on line so the technology is there. Why not all the other accounts of governments and corporations?
Why aren't the books open? Why is it always such a terrible surprise to those that take office that things are never the way they think it is? In this day of internet and computing resources we should be able to log onto to any government portal or government department website and see all the transactions taking place in real time. Wages and expenditure (in detail) going out. Taxes and other income coming in. The difference is the balance.
For that matter why aren't all corporate entities open as well. It would help stop tax avoidance. (yes, I know but humor me anyway)
It just seems sensible to me to know what the state of affairs is at any given time. Banks seem to know what is happening to all their billions of accounts and transactions on line so the technology is there. Why not all the other accounts of governments and corporations?
I am such an old fashioned soul. I even believe that we should have world peace as well as participatory democracy. Yeah, I know, dream on....