As the Advocate says... LET THE SUN SHINE IN.

In the March 18, 2009 edition of The Advocate, the editorial board echoed the sentiments of SOS: it's time for Louisiana government to get transparent. In "Our View" piece, entitled "Let the Sun Shine In," the board explains that this is National Sunshine Week (annually March 15 to March 21), where leading transparency advocates tout the benefits of a completely transparent government. In our state, leaders like the Pelican Institute for Public Policy and Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana have long championed the need for this sort of government reform. And finally, these voices in the wilderness are getting the credit they deserve.

The article calls for President Obama to live up to his promises of making his entire administration transparent, especially with a Google-style searchability of federal budgets and legislation. In Louisiana, Governor Jindal promised, through one of his first executive orders, complete transparency.

How does this correlate with our ongoing budget crisis affecting our school? Now, more than ever, students and taxpayers should monitor the spending of both educational institutions and the state. When each penny matters more than it did ever before (which could be the root of the problem), transparency allows for all of us to scrutinize spending. We must be responsible voters and examine the causes for the problems we face. And transparency is just the tool to do so.