Budgets
Maybe Phase 5 and obviously a very important aspect of understanding our governments
As we develop this site, we may want to consider how we will outline budgets. How will we simplify the display of information. How can we insert the effect of legislation on to a budget... since that is really the bottom-line, can we afford it? Is money used better else where.
Bringing this home, how can we help officials decide on budget issues with out our votes simply reflecting a spoiled child... "I want it all".
Can we build an interactive interface that can be shared, that shows effects of raised taxes, per household and total benefits to that household for some new public utility or service. I'm sure delivery of water, is far more valuable that the price we pay. Hauling buckets of water from a central source is time consuming. Turning a faucet is very convenient. Yet do we look at issues in that light? Or do we just complain? And how do we demonstrate that?
On the other hand wasteful spending is everywhere. The famous Bridge to nowhere comes to mind. We are told this kind of spending is necessary to get legislation passed. But is that really true, or is it because we, Citizens, aren't directly involved.
CTN believes with the CITIZEN'S LINE ITEM VETO [patent pending]... we can focus the attentions of government officials to what issues are truly important, and in doing so save money.
Graphics and display of information.
Figures don't lie, but liars figure. - Samuel Clemens (alias Mark Twain)
So how do we tell a complicated story, acurately?
Sometimes graphs and charts work well, especially when laid out side by side. Here's some examples using today's national debt.
These graphics and reviewing the data in different ways can reveal information and give it historical value. It can associate data and provide a relationship between facts. And data can reveal possibilities.
Our job is to stay factual.
