Change, accountability, and responsibility should not simply be buzzwords. This is what Jerry Brito thought when he rounded up a team to create
Stimulus Watch, a web-based community where one can find all the project
proposals by any local government by the city and state.
“President Obama has promised that stimulus funding would go to
smart investments — not to pet projects — and that elected representatives
would be held accountable for how they spend taxpayer money,” Brito said. “Stimulus Watch aims to help
President Obama keep that pledge by allowing citizens to discuss and rate the
different “shovel-ready” projects that will be candidates for funding
once the stimulus bill passes.”
Brito and his team at Stimulus Watch are ready to create a place where
people can become informed and hold the government accountable for their
decisions.
Stimulus Watch’s web site lists proposed projects and an estimate
of the cost of the individual project. As Brito puts it, “For each project, the
site asks users, ‘Is this project critical?’ We can then see which projects
have been judged by the crowd as the most and least critical. You can also see
the best and worst in a particular state or city.” The site is a great insight into the government beyond the
newspaper. Brito created this web
site because he believes that individual involvement in the government can make
a difference, but the first step is being informed about the government.
“Individuals do have the power to make change, especially when
they band together in a community effort, like Stimulus Watch. One citizen in
Buffalo making a call to the local government might have little effect on a
project, but 1,000 votes for or against a Buffalo project on the site is bound
to get the attention of officials.”
It is amazing how much projects cost. For example, it’s easy to watch the new streetlights go up on
your block, but do you know how much they cost? There are a little over 100 listings for Buffalo. Take a look at Stimulus
Watch.