We are a country founded of, by, and for the people. So if you hear the words "We're from the government and we are here to help" do you believe it. Most of us cringe if we hear those words. The way this is supposed to work is that government is created to serve the citizens. We don't serve the government. Government is here to serve us. So effectively anyone working in public service at any level is working for us. 

We are their employer and they all, every one should answer to us, the citizenry. This is now lost on most Americans. We have a right to know the business of government and how and where our money is spent, every one of us. And every contractor, corporation or individual doing business with government is also our business. There should be no question as to how much, to whom, and why this money is being spent. After all, it's our money. 

Today politician's salaries are public, and politicians have to re-apply for their job every time they're up for re-election. The rest of government should also be accountable to the citizenry. We elect our representatives to oversee the business of government, but today the business of government is hidden from public view, and government spending and growth is out of control. There seems to be no end to their justification to spend more, and ways they can find to spend our money.

The first and most effective way we can begin to get a handle on government spending is to have full open disclosure. Every individual working in public service in any capacity is our business as citizens. So our courts, the prosecutor, and staff down to clerks and the custodial help should all be named and salaries and benefits disclosed. This goes for all law enforcement, highway departments, fire protection and EMT's.

Our public educators including public universities, administrators and staff down to the custodial help should all be identified and salaries and benefits disclosed. Public hospitals, etc., and every branch whether it be municipal, county, state or at the Federal level should all be accountable to the citizens. 

Working in public service should be exactly that, a service to the citizenry, and a little humility to have your salary and benefits posted on the government website would go a long way toward making you more accountable to your employer, us, the citizens. And if we feel we're getting cheated and robbed, you'll be outed.

Today government service has become a gravy train to too many climbing the government ladder. When you see public service employees hopping around to different departments, CIA, FBI, Department of Education, Commerce, HUD, etc. etc. and it's happening in state and local government as well. Too often these people have no idea how hard we work to pay their salaries and benefits.

Working in public service should be humbling, after all they're working for us, and any contractor, corporation or individual being paid for their work or product should also be humbling and openly public.

It would be easy to open a page at every level of government, department, branch etc. to list employees, salaries & benefits and those private contractors and vendors along with the services and products they provide.

By the way, the business of government should all be transparent and open, including meetings and communications while in your charge as a public servant. 

All eyes on government will make government more accountable, and the more eyes the better.