What do they do with all that money??

In light of the recent headlines and talks of $700 billion bailouts and ever-increasing government spending, we thought we'd highlight some states who are shining a brighter light on their own spending practices to give taxpayers more of an idea of just how their hard-earned money is being spent.

The Sunshine Review Blog, a project of the Sam Adams Alliance, focuses specifically on transparency and accountability in government spending. In the past week, they've recognized a couple states who are already drilling down for more details on state spending.

Rhode Island: "The Rhode Island Statewide Coalition (RISC) has released The Money Trail, a transparency website aimed at giving Rhode Islanders more information on how their government spends taxpayer dollars at multiple levels, as well as providing a platform for educated action."

Maine: " “We want to show Maine taxpayers — down to the agency, person and penny — where their dollars go. How can you get the most bang for the taxpayer’s buck?” Tarren Bragdon of the Maine Heritage Policy Center explained to the Bangor Daily News as the reason for launching a new website, MaineOpenGov.org. "