<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div></div><div>As expected . . .</div><div><br></div><div>Courtesy of today's (March 15, 2012) Spokesman-Review.</div><div><br></div><div>------------------------------</div><div><br></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); line-height: 24px; "><p style="overflow-x: visible !important; overflow-y: visible !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 21px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-size: 14px; "><h1 style="overflow-x: visible !important; overflow-y: visible !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; clear: both; line-height: 1.2; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Washington earns B, Idaho gets F in ease of tracking state funds</h1></span></p><p style="overflow-x: visible !important; overflow-y: visible !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 21px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">OLYMPIA – Washington got a B in transparency and Idaho got an F from a national group looking at how easy state governments make it for voters to “follow the money.”</p><p style="overflow-x: visible !important; overflow-y: visible !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 21px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">The U.S. Public Interest Research Group graded the states on whether voters easily can track how money is spent, on what, and who gets it, reviewing websites set up to provide information about their agencies’ budgets.</p><p style="overflow-x: visible !important; overflow-y: visible !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 21px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Last year when the group made a similar survey, Washington also got an F. Since then, the state set up an advanced budget website that is searchable and user-friendly, although it doesn’t have as much historical information as some other states, the graders said. It is, however, taking the lead in “mapping” some forms of state spending, so average citizens can see where the money for state construction projects is spent.</p><p style="overflow-x: visible !important; overflow-y: visible !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 21px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Idaho, meanwhile, had the lowest score of any of the states reviewed. It was criticized for “weak or superficial information about government expenditures.”</p><p style="overflow-x: visible !important; overflow-y: visible !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 21px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Phineas Baxandall, senior analyst for tax and budget policy for the organization, said state governments across the country need to be more transparent about where money goes.</p><p style="overflow-x: visible !important; overflow-y: visible !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 21px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">“Citizens expect information to be at their fingertips the way they can view their cellphone minutes or the location of a package,” he said. “Putting spending information online helps hold government accountable and allows taxpayers to see where the money goes.”</p><p style="overflow-x: visible !important; overflow-y: visible !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 21px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">---------------</p><p style="overflow-x: visible !important; overflow-y: visible !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 21px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Washington state’s budget website, run by the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program, can be found at:</p><p style="overflow-x: visible !important; overflow-y: visible !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 21px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><a href="http://www.leap.leg.wa.gov">http://www.leap.leg.wa.gov</a><br></p><p style="overflow-x: visible !important; overflow-y: visible !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 21px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; font-size: 17px; ">------------------------------</span><br></p></span><div><div>Seeya round town, Moscow.</div><div><br></div><div>Tom Hansen</div><div>Moscow, Idaho</div><div><br></div><div>"If not us, who?</div><div>If not now, when?"</div><div><br></div><div>- Unknown</div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></body></html>