For example, you can find out an individual payment to a state liquor packaging agency. And one of those entries will detail to whom the payment was made.

But search by that person's name — and nothing comes up.

However, use a different search field and bingo! You'll see that the state pays this package agency $6,496.96 each month for selling its liquor.

You can switch over to the revenue side of the ledger, search for "alcohol," and you'll see that last Nov. 6, the liquor commission deposited $35,000 into its restricted account for liquor fees, licenses and so on.

How one can really evaluate all this information in the $11 billion state budget, is anyone's guess.

But Niederhauser says individuals, groups or businesses may, for example, want to bid on providing products or services to the state. And by searching the site they can find out how much the state is paying for those items now.

"The site can also be a deterrent to fraud — there will be a lot of eyes looking at this data," he said.

Along with the new transparency site comes a citizen/government official/legislative board that will decide how best to post information, and what should and should not be posted.

And some information will remain secret — sales tax revenues remitted by an individual business is private, since by looking at it competitors could see the total sales that firm is making.

Niederhauser said the site "is not perfect. It's a way toward good governance. We want to improve. Information — knowledge — is better than ignorance."

E-MAIL: bbjr@desnews.com