HARRISBURG – Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-36) issued the following statement today
in response to the governor's Executive Order creating the Pennsylvania Stimulus
Oversight Commission:
"I am pleased that the governor’s commission mirrors many of the
proposals I introduced as part of Senate Bill 6, legislation to create the
Pennsylvania Commission on Stimulus Accountability. This oversight
commission is a step in the right direction, but I believe that we can do
better to ensure the proper level of oversight, accountability, transparency
and legislative involvement in the allocation of stimulus funding.
"Although similar to my proposal in many ways, the governor’s commission
does not include the high level of reporting and transparency standards
included in Senate Bill 6. My legislation includes reporting standards for
state agencies to determine exactly how and where these additional funds
will be used. The bill also requires the commission to establish a website
that includes meeting transcripts and a searchable database of individual
stimulus projects for the public to review. The public has the right to know
exactly how stimulus dollars are being used in their communities and in
other communities across the state, and we are failing to meet even this
basic level of accountability and transparency in current practice."
"While I applaud the governor for taking the first steps toward ensuring
oversight and accountability of stimulus funds, I do not believe that the
creation of this committee precludes the need to pass Senate Bill 6 to
establish more comprehensive oversight measures. The people of Pennsylvania
deserve to have greater access to information on how their stimulus dollars
are being spent, and I believe we have an obligation to provide this
detailed information to all taxpayers as part of our continuing efforts to
make government more open and accountable to the people we serve. I look
forward to working with the governor and my colleagues to ensure that
stimulus funds distributed in Pennsylvania meet the highest standard of
accountability and transparency."
