PROVIDENCE, RI, September 23, 2008 - The Ocean State Policy Research Institute has filed 72 complaints with the Attorney General's office in an effort to obtain information from 36 school districts, cities and towns that have not complied with OSPRI requests for contracts, check registers, and budgets.
 
William Felkner, OSPRI president said, "It is an embarrassment that so many cities, towns and school districts hide this information.  How they spend our money is our business and OSPRI will make sure public information is indeed public."
 
Since March, 2008, OSPRI has been uploading public documents such as these to The Transparency Train, an internet database maintained by OSPRI, which is an ongoing project creating a searchable website that contains budgets, payrolls, contracts and the monthly check registers for the state government and every city, town and school district in Rhode Island. Updates are made daily as new information becomes available.
 
"OSPRI will continue to fight for access to the information needed to track where our tax dollars are being spent," said Felkner.  "It's not just an embarrassment that 36 cities, towns or schools have refused to grant access to this public information - it is also a violation of law. OSPRI will file these 72 complaints and continue to hold our state, town and city governments accountable until all transactions are completely transparent.  We will also make public a record of who complies and who does not and take any means available to acquire that information."
 
A copy of OSPRI's letter to the Attorney General is included below:

 

 
The Honorable Patrick Lynch
Attorney General of the State of Rhode Island
150 South Main Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
 
Dear Attorney General Lynch:
 
The Ocean State Policy Research Institute made a request for public records pursuant to R.I.G.L. Chapter 38-2 to access to the Public Records Act to the following municipalities and school districts:
 
Barrington School District Administrative Contracts requested April 3, 2008;
Bristol Warren School District July Check Register requested on August 7, 2008; August Check Registers requested on September 7, 2008
Coventry School District Support and Administrative Contracts requested in April 3, 2008
Cumberland School District Administrative Contract requested in April 3, 2008; July Check Register requested on August 7, 2008; August Check Register requested September 7, 2008
East Greenwich School District Administrative Contract requested April 3, 2008
East Providence School District July Check Register requested on August 7, 2008; August Check Register requested September 7, 2008
Foster-Glocester School District Administrative and Teacher contracts requested April 3, 2008; July Check Register requested on August 7, 2008; August Check Register requested September 7, 2008; Budget requested April 3, 2008, Payroll requested September 16, 2008
Narragansett School District July Check Register requested on August 7, 2008; August Check Register requested September 7, 2008
Newport School District Administrative Contract Requested April 3, 2008
North Providence School District Administrative Contract Requested April 3, 2008
North Smithfield School District Administrative Contract Requested April 3, 2008
Providence School District Budget requested in April 3, 2008; July Check Register requested on August 7, 2008; August Check Register requested September 7, 2008
Smithfield School District Administrative Contract requested April 3, 2008
South Kingston School District Administrative Contract Requested April 3, 2008
Warwick School District Administrative Contract Requested April 3, 2008; July Check Register requested August 7, 2008; August Check Register requested September 7, 2008
Westerly School District Administrative Contract Requested April 3, 2008
Woonsocket School District Administrative Contract Requested April 3, 2008;
Town of Bristol Fire Contract requested April 3, 2008
City of Central Falls July Check Register requested on August 7, 2008; August Check Register requested September 7, 2008
City of East Providence July Check Register requested on August 7, 2008; August Check Register requested September 7, 2008
Town of Exeter Contracts requested April 3, 2008;
Town of Foster Contracts and Budget requested April 3, 2008; July Check Register requested on August 7, 2008; August Check Register requested September 7, 2008; Payroll requested September 16, 2008
Town of Glocester Contracts requested April 3, 2008;
Town of Jamestown Fire Contracts requested April 3, 2008
Town of Narragansett July Check Register requested on August 7, 2008; August Check Register requested September 7, 2008
Town of New Shoreham Fire Contracts requested April 3, 2008;
Town of North Kingston July Check Register requested on August 7, 2008; August Check Register requested on September 7, 2008
City of North Providence Check Register requested August 7, 2008; Check Register requested September 7, 2008;
Town of North Smithfield Contracts requested April 3, 2008;
Town of Scituate Fire Contracts requested April 3, 2008
City of Tiverton Contracts requested April 3, 2008; July Check Register requested on August 7, 2008; August Check Register requested September 7, 2008
Town of Warren Contracts requested April 3, 2008
City of Warwick Contracts requested April 3, 2008; July Check Register requested on August 7, 2008; August Check Register requested September 7, 2008
Town of West Greenwich Fire Contracts and Budget requested April 3, 2008; July Check Register requested on August 7, 2008; August Check Register requested September 7, 2008;
Town of Westerly July Check Register requested on August 7, 2008; August Check Register requested September 7, 2008
City of Woonsocket Fire and Police Contracts requested April 3, 2008; July Check Register requested on August 7, 2008; August Check Register requested September 7, 2008;
 
 
The above requests have not been fulfilled as of September 19, 2008. The Ocean State Policy Research Institute sent a second request for check registers, contracts and budgets to 36 school districts, cities and towns on September 19, 2008 and is therefore filing a total of 72 (seventy-two) complaints enclosed herewith against 17 (seventeen) school districts and 19 (nineteen) cities and towns. Enclosed you will find a copy of these requests.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
 
 
William Felkner
President
Ocean State Policy Research Institute
 
(36) Enclosures