‘Transparency should not be controversial’

Editor,

Every election season, taxpayers hear the same promises. Government will become more efficient. Waste will be reduced. Accountability will improve. Yet year after year, the cost of government grows while public confidence continues to decline.

Many Americans are not asking for more programs. They are asking for better stewardship of the money already being collected.

Whether it is infrastructure projects that cost far more than originally estimated, government contracts that seem disconnected from market realities, or bureaucracies that continue to expand regardless of results, taxpayers have every right to ask where their money is actually going.

The frustration is not simply about taxes. It is about value. Families must balance budgets. Small businesses must justify expenses. Ranchers, contractors, restaurant owners, and working families throughout the Gunnison Valley make difficult financial decisions every day. Why should government be held to a lower standard?

Before officials ask citizens for additional taxes, fees, permits, or regulations, perhaps they should first demonstrate measurable results from the resources they already control.

Transparency should not be controversial. Accountability should not be partisan. Taxpayer dollars should be treated as if they matter because they do. Every dollar collected represents hours of someone's life spent working. Government should never forget that.

Tom Marshall

Gunnison County