Government Accountability

Accountability is a hot-button issue on today's political landscape, both at a state and national levels. Never is this more important than during a catastrophic event, when promises made must be promises kept and the needs of impacted constituents must always be placed ahead of personal agendas and petty politics. Further, those who assumed the responsibility of protecting and providing for citizens during times of crisis must step up and be accountable for the lives they have sworn to protect.

True governmental accountability also means ensuring that excellent services are available for the most vulnerable populations and that difficult changes are made within governmental systems when needed. Accountability draws attention and scrutiny to programs and policies that may have previously gone without such oversights. However, when one commits to being accountable, truly accountable, that is when real governmental advances can be made.

The Louisiana Family Recovery Corps believes in accountability at every level of government, as government has the ultimate responsibility to be accountable to those it serves. But the people who receive services and resources from the government have the responsibility to also be accountable for the resources and assistance they have received. In the end, by having reciprocal accountabilities in place, resources provided by taxpayers can be tracked and outcomes can be measured, thus helping to eliminate waste and ensuring that public resources only go to those willing to help themselves and be responsbile for what they have received.

The Recovery Corps will continue to demand accountability at all levels of government -- federal, state, and local -- not only by asking those who make political promises to make good on those pledges but also by seeking to ensure that proper structures and mechanisms designed to deliver accountability are in place within governmental programs that provide for our citizens.

Key Recovery Corps positions related to government accountability:

• Proper procedures and policies must be put in place to ensure that programs and services expending taxpayers money are intended to positively impact a segment of the population
• Distinct outcomes displaying those positive impacts must be clearly evidenced and varifiable
• All federal and state funds that are used for human recovery services such as case management, home repair programs, household establishment funds, mental health services, education, disability services, elderly services, workforce development services, affordable housing, and Louisiana Cottages should be subject to a strict accountability standard
• There must be reciprocal accountabilities in place among those providing resources and services and those receiving resources and services
• Elected officials must be responsive to and work on behalf of the citizens that placed them in office