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Fake Transparency

Originally Published in the Frederick News-Post

Government Transparency

by Marta Hummel Mossburg

OP-EDS

President Barack Obama wants federal contractors to disclose how much they give to independent groups that engage in political advertising. If he really wants to know the hearts and minds of those competing for taxpayer dollars, why stop with political contributions?

He should also require heads of companies applying for federal work, many in Maryland, to reveal their party affiliation, how much they have paid in taxes over the last five years, for whom they voted in the last four presidential elections and how much they give to charity with the names of the organizations included. Oh, and why not ask each company to include with its bid a recommendation from the two largest labor organizations from its state?

Think how useful it would be for those in power to pick the “best” company for the job! With those reforms government procurement managers could eliminate the headache of pouring through competitive bids and almost instantaneously select finalists. Those groups could then “race to the top” to prove their utility to the government. That is what those in power call a “win win” situation: maximizing political fundraising under the guise of good government.

In fact, it sounds a lot like how the government in Prince George’s County operated until federal law enforcement officials upended long-standing traditions of bribery for county work. If only Prince George’s enacted a similar regulation at the local level it might have taken corruption to new heights. For example, Leslie Johnson might have been stuffing millions into her bra instead of tens of thousands . She is a county councilwoman and wife of Jack Johnson, the former county executive who pleaded guilty to one count of extortion and one count of evidence tampering last month.

Think of how it could help Baltimore City government choose developers for a proposed nearly billion dollar makeover of the convention center and arena downtown and the proposed $1.5 billion public-private State Center development? Instead of winks, nudges and discreet phone calls bribery could be right out in the open if the city made developers catalog the information noted above with each bid.

The only problem for the party currently in power is that it did not propose this reform early enough to lock up Democratic financing for the 2012 presidential election. If the scheme fails and a Republican wins the White House, Congressional Democrats will no doubt lead the charge to stop a disclosure requirement.

Government should be in the job of choosing the best contractor at the best price. Strong-arming companies to stop supporting particular groups that do not meet with government approval in order to win a bid will solidify crony capitalism as the rule of the land. That those on Wall Street who knowingly orchestrated the Great Recession are free while authorities focus on outing doping athletes speaks to the failing rule of law. And the fact that the president would champion gangster government in the name of transparency is one more symptom of a crumbling respect for free enterprise where risks come with rewards and often with failure.