Ruestman: Valuable Resources

Transparency in government is always important.  The Republican Majority Legislature along with Governor Matt Blunt implemented the Missouri Accountability Portal to allow residents to view where their tax money is going.  The Portal is a valuable resource you can visit any time to see employee expenditures, where stimulus money is going and companies that have failed to pay their taxes.

You can visit the Accountability Portal at http://mapyourtaxes.mo.gov.

Further information on where stimulus money is going can be found at http://transform.mo.gov.

Those two websites provide invaluable information to the citizens and the legislators who are keeping an eye on the money.

Recently my office has received some inquiries on how to sign up for the "No Call" list.

There are two ways you may register.  First, you can call 866-NOCALL1.  Additionally, you may visit http://ago.mo.gov and click on the "No Call" button.  There is also a list of frequently asked questions available on the website regarding the List.  Please be aware that if you register by August 1, telemarketers have until October 1 to update their records and remove you from lists.

Another helpful resource provided by the State is "Check a Charity".  It allows you to find out the legitimacy of a charitable organization before giving to them.  You may search for a particular organization and find out what percentage of their donations go directly to the cause and how much is spent on administrative cost.  The search application is available at http://ago.mo.gov/checkacharity.

These are just a few of the valuable tools the state provides.  If you need additional information on any of these programs, feel free to contact my office.

If you have problems, questions or wish to express concern over an issue, please do not hesitate to contact me or my Legislator Assistant, Jonathan, at my Capitol office either by phone 573-751-9801 or by e-mail at Marilyn{dot}Ruestman{at}house{dot}mo{dot}gov.