Transparency, Accountability, and Shared Responsibility

1
Transparency, Accountability, and Shared
Responsibility
The Only Morally Acceptable Reason for the Level
of Social Investment Were Making Is To Create
a Better World for Our Children and Grandchildren
2
Transparency and Accountability

• Both are needed so that ARRA funds are spent
  effectively and as intended
• ARRA creates innovative mechanisms for doing so
• Failure to provide appropriate oversight
  threatens economic recoveryand progressive
  agenda for health, education and clean energy,
  etc.
• On the other handSuccess at implementation
  breeds success--education and health care reform
  national climate and energy legislation etc.

3
Whos Minding the Store?

• Federal Accountability Board Advisory Panel
  Federal Inspectors General (250MM)
• State Accountability Officer State Transparency
  Officer Stimulus Project Oversight Officer
  Agency Accountability Officers State Auditors
• www.recovery.gov
• www.recovery.ct.gov
• Non-governmental sites
• ALL OF US!

4
Whats in the Mix?

• Direct spending 3 billion in CT
• Formula grants, competitive grants
• Federal guidelines state guidelines local
  guidelines
• Programs still TBD
• Loans and loan guarantees
• Tax provisions
• On-going federal, state and local budgets

5
Terms of Art

• Waste, Fraud and Abuse
• Maintenance of Effort (MOE) and Supplement not
  Supplant (SNS)
• Eligible Uses
• Certifications and Assurances
• Whistleblower Protection
• Reporting and Progress Monitoring

6
Waste, Fraud, Abuse

• Know It When You See It
• Core Definition of Federal Accountability
  Office--Jack Abramoff Meets Earl Devaney
• Dont Risk Being Front Page News
• Glenn Beck and John Q Citizen
• With this level of transparency and
  accountabilityNO SAFE HAVENS!

7
MOE and SNS

• IDEA funding is an example (so is clean energy)
• Superintendent A We should have gotten more
  flexibility the rules arent clear and we
  should have access to a waiver that gets us out
  of this jam
• Business Manager A The rules are clear the
  funds cant be used to supplant existing funding
  and we should focus on programs achieve the
  educational goals of the stimulus and dont
  leave us out on a limb when the ARRA funding runs
  out

8
Eligible Uses

• Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant is
  a good example (there are many others)
• Eligible uses contained in 2007 energy bill also
  affected by state law and local codes
• No tightening in ARRA of eligible uses--the sound
  of trucks driving through loopholes?
• Some state and local discretion in allocation of
  funds and prioritization of uses--means its all
  a work in progress

9
Certifications and Assurances

• Even with formula grants, Governors have to
  certify that they will abide by the conditions
  established in ARRA
• Includes reporting and accountability
• Can include other policy guidance (e.g. energy
  decoupling and IRP)
• Can apply to MOE and SNS
• LOTS of THINGS to SIGN--its all on the Web

10
Whistleblower Protection

• Established at all levels of government, though
  in different legal vehicles
• Extends to all recipients of funding

11
Reporting and Progress Monitoring

• Vast--Extends to all ARRA programs
• Broad--Job creation EEH goals
• Recurring (quarterly, at a minimum)
• Various agencies--federal, state, local
• Transparent and Meant to be Real Time
• Allows for Course Corrections
• Applies to Decision-Making Bodies e.g. the
  Working Group, Legislative Committees

12
What to Look For

• Decision making entities--the Working
  Group--prevention is the best medicine
• Waste, Fraud, Abuse
• Incompetence is Criminal! (spending
  effectively?)
• MOE and SNS Eligible Uses (as intended?)
• Inaccurate or untimely reporting

13
Who You Gonna Call?

• Like Minded Organizations?
• Implementing Agencies?
• Earl Devaney, Recovery.gov, and VP Biden?
• Federal Agency Inspector Generals?
• State Recovery Personnel?
• State Agencies?
• Media?
• All of the Above??

14
TAKE AWAYs

• Shared Responsibility--Its all of US We
  shouldnt leave it to them
• Visit federal and state sites daily!
• Anticipate problem areas--DOE IG report and
  weatherization Secretary Duncan and MOE/SNS
• Be Fair but Firm--Cant Afford to Tolerate Bad
  (if not criminal) Behavior
• Good news counts too!
• www.tremainefoundation.org