The government's idea of 'accountability and transparency'

By Ethel C. Fenig

So, you wondered how a government website , sponsored by the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, devoted to showing how your tax stimulus money is distributed, did not notice that it listed disbursing over $6 billion to non existent Congressional districts, to non existent jobs?

Well, that's because it can't. ABC News Rick Klein reported received from the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board chairman, Earl Devaney explaining the problem. Sort of.

Your letter specifically asks if I am able to certify that the number of jobs reported as created/saved on Recovery.gov is accurate and auditable. No, I am not able to make this certification,"

Try using this line, I didn't sign my income tax form as I can't certify it "is accurate and auditable" with another government agency, the IRS.

Furthermore

Devaney said that while he can't yet provide a list of all entities that were required to submit information but failed to do so, "I expect to have access to this data shortly." He also said the board will seek to correct data that proves to be faulty, and is promising "increasingly higher levels of accuracy in the future."

Again, try promising the IRS "increasingly higher levels of accuracy in the future" when questioned about uh, discrepancies on your annual income tax statement.

Meanwhile

Separately, the administration has slashed more than 60,000 jobs from its most recent report on the program, because the reporting outlets submitted "unrealistic data."

The IRS does not take kindly to "unrealistic data."

And so now you have the government's definition of accountability and transparency.