Treasurer touts new state contracts database on Web
July 22, 2008
By KARI L. ANDRED
Capitolwire
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvanians can now browse more than a thousand state contracts on a new database on the Treasury Department's Web site.
The creation of the database, called the Contracts e-Library, is part of the overhaul of the Right-to-Know Law enacted in February. Most of that new law won't go into effect until Jan. 1, but the new searchable online contracts database went online at the beginning of July.
State Treasurer Robin Wiessmann and other treasury officials highlighted some of the database's features and explained how to use the searchable information source at a Capitol news conference Tuesday that reporters and residents from across the state could participate in electronically.
"This is truly a win-win situation," Wiessmann said. This is "a strong statement of our government's commitment to improve accountability and transparency in the commonwealth."
The database will contain all current state agency contracts entered into on and after July 1. That can include contracts for the distribution of grant money by state agencies. For instance, the Department of Community and Economic Development has posted hundreds of grant award contracts online.
So far, there are already nearly 1,500 state contracts posted on the database, and more are being added daily.
"It's absolutely a huge step forward. Allowing citizens to review contracts has got to be good for the democracy and the reputation of the Capitol as a whole," said Chuck Ardo, spokesman for Gov. Ed Rendell.
"Sunshine is the great cleanser so the more sunshine we allow onto the workings of government, it is inevitably going to work cleaner," Ardo said.
Wiessmann credited Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre, for proposing the amendment to the Right-to-Know Law to create the online contracts database.
Erik Arneson, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware, who sponsored the bill that overhauled the Right-to-Know Law, said the database is "off to a great start."
"We are impressed with the work that has been done so far and ... pleased that the first tangible result of the new Open Records Law seems to be proceeding so well," Arneson said.
In addition to the contracts database, a provision of the law that requires four state-related universities - Penn State University, Temple University, University of Pittsburgh and Lincoln University - to report the salaries of all officers, directors and the 25 highest-paid employees took effect July 1.
The bulk of the new law - including the provision that puts the burden on state officials to prove a record is not public, rather than on the citizen to prove it is - does not take effect until Jan. 1.
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