State Recovery Web Sites Fall Short, Report Finds

Washington, July 31 – State Recovery Act Web sites are not living up to the promise of transparency and accountability, according to a new study that found most states are not adequately using online technology to tell citizens how the money is being spent.

The study, conducted by Good Jobs First, a national policy resource center for grassroots groups and public officials, examined the quantity and quality of American Reinvestment and Recovery Act information on official state Web sites. Using 10 criteria, and examining the main Web site as well as specific reporting on ARRA highway projects, the study scored each state and the District of Columbia twice on a scale of 0 to 100.