BY SANDY THEIS
Enquirer Columbus Bureau
COLUMBUS -- For less than $200,000, a citizens group has done in a few months what Secretary of State Bob Taft did not achieve over eight years: Provide quick, easy access to lists of those who donate to statewide candidates.
Ohio Citizen Action launched its Web site at www.ohiocitizen.org Wednesday, complete with lists of contributors to 15 statewide candidates -- including Mr. Taft, the Republican nominee for governor.
He and his Democratic opponent, Lee Fisher, are among those who voluntarily provided Citizen Action with their campaign reports on computer disk.
With grants from private foundations, Citizen Action translated the disks into information that helps voters to follow the money. "For the first time in Ohio, voters can review contributions made to statewide candidates while an election is under way," said Laura Yeomans, the research director who coordinated the project.
"The Ohio Secretary of State needs to adopt electronic filing and provide this same information on their Web site to voters," she said.
Especially in light of the rising costs of campaigns, voters need the information to make more informed decisions, she said. The secretary of state is responsible for collecting and auditing campaign finance reports.
During his 1990 race for the office, Mr. Taft vowed to computerize the reports within one year -- a promise he kept.
His office spent $152,000 to develop and install a computer system. Users must visit Mr. Taft's office in downtown Columbus, or pay a fee to have the reports copied.
The system is cumbersome and has been prone to breakdowns. Final numbers have not been available until several months after an election. Jon Allison, a spokesman for Mr. Taft, noted that technology has changed dramatically since 1990 and said the office is installing a newer system.
All candidates for governor, secretary of state, attorney general and state auditor have voluntarily submitted electronic reports to Citizen Action.
In the race for state treasurer, Democrat John Donofrio submitted his, but Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters did not.
