That's the question everyone in the State should be asking this morning after repeated calls to open the budget books up to the general public again fell on deaf ears in the Democrat controlled House of Representatives.

Yesterday Attorney General Mike Cox joined House Republicans in calling on Andy Dillon and his tax-hike caucus to give Republican "sunshine" legislation an up or down vote on the floor of the House.  Bills were drafted last year and have been languishing in committee ever since without so much as a hearing.

Simply put, the legislation would put all state government spending on a publicly accessible web site.  When the Dems tell us they need more of our cash it only stands to reason that they explain precisely where it's going and why.

"If this were in place last year,  we would have known the state had a $350 million surplus at the same time Democrats forced a tax increase on Michigan families and job providers," said House Republican Leader Craig DeRoche during a presser yesterday.

DeRoche explained that posting detailed information online regarding departmental spending is not difficult, noting that Attorney General Mike Cox has already posted his department's spending on their Web Site.

"Michigan citizens are now able to go online to my department's Web site and look at the name of the vendor, the type of service being provided, the term of contract, the amount of the contract, how much has been spent and how much is still outstanding on each and every contract," said Cox.  "This is the ultimate in consumer protection."

The Government Funding, Accountability and Transparency Act, or FAT Act, is fashioned after bipartisan federal legislation that became law in 2006 to require the federal government to post itemized spending reports online.  House Republicans introduced similar legislation for state government in August 2007, but Democratic leadership has refused to act.

The reform package also requires public school districts to post their own spending online.  The package eliminates the loophole in the Intermediate School District reporting requirements that exempts them from disclosing lobbying and other activities by ISD employees.

But nope.  Not so much as a vote in committee.  Several Democrats in particular are holding up the process.  Kim Meltzer's HB 5083 and Fran Amos's HB 5084 are stalled in the Education Committee thanks to the obstruction of Committee Chairman Tim Melton and Vice Chair Mary Valentine.

The final piece of the package, Jack Hoogendyk's HB 5137 is being held up by Steve Tobocman and uber obstructionist Paul Condino in the Oversight and Investigations Committee.

This is common sense legislation.  It empowers taxpayers while holding government accountable.  Then again, that's the problem, isn't it Speaker Dillon?

C'mon boys and girls, what don't you want us to discover?  What are you afraid of?