Betty Yee (D) has been the State Controller for California since 2014. The position is chosen by election. Much like an accountant, the main task associated with this position is the recording and tracking of funds from the State Treasury. Though this is the main priority of this official’s position, Democrat Betty Yee has failed to keep track of over $300 Billion in state funds.
Open the Books is an online organization that centers on keeping government officials accountable and their state expenditures transparent. According to Adam Andrzejewski at Real Clear Politics, 21 months ago, OpenTheBooks.com requested California to make its financial accounting records available for review and publication. Of the 50 United States, California is the only state that has not shown any transparency in its financial record-keeping. Andrzejewski reports that 49 other states, the federal government, and many municipal governments have made their records publicly available.
When California denied the initial request, Open the Books went to court, citing that the State is legally required to provide the financial records to anyone who requests them. Violating state open records law, the controller’s office took 11 weeks to respond. When Controller Betty Yee denied the request, she stated the reason being that the records could not be located. In 2018, the State Controller’s office made 49 million funds transfers, totaling $320 Billion, yet to whom and for what is not clear.
If any other person did this with their personal or business finances, the IRS would not hesitate to prosecute them. As residents of California and the United States, we need to hold our politicians and government officials accountable. Fortunately, Yee’s term is almost up, and she has already reached her two-term limit. Vote responsibly, California.
