A Government with Nothing to Hide
One of the biggest reasons Americans have lost trust in government is simple:
The people often don’t know what their government is doing until after decisions have already been made.
The Farmer Servant movement believes that has to change.
Government should not operate behind closed doors.
Government should not rely on secrecy whenever transparency is possible.
Government should not require citizens to file endless Open Records requests just to understand how their tax dollars are being spent.
The People’s Table is designed to bring Oklahoma’s government into the open by making information easily accessible, understandable, and available to every citizen.
If government works for the people, then the people should always have a seat at the table.
Step 1: One Place for Government Transparency
The People’s Table will serve as Oklahoma’s central online transparency portal.
Instead of searching dozens of government websites, citizens can visit one location to find information about state government.
The goal is simple:
One State. One Table. Complete Transparency.
Step 2: Read Proposed Legislation Before Decisions Are Made
Too often, citizens don’t learn about legislation until after it has already passed.
The People’s Table will provide easy access to:
- Proposed legislation
- Executive initiatives
- Administrative rules
- Constitutional questions
- Budget proposals
- Major policy recommendations
The goal is to give citizens time to learn, discuss, and communicate with their elected officials before important decisions are made.
Step 3: Understand the Issues
Government documents are often written in technical legal language that many citizens struggle to understand.
The People’s Table will include plain-language summaries explaining:
- What a proposal does
- Why it was introduced
- Estimated costs
- Potential benefits
- Potential concerns
- Agencies involved
An informed public makes better decisions.
Step 4: Follow the Money
Taxpayer dollars belong to the people.
The People’s Table will make it easier for citizens to understand:
- State budgets
- Agency spending
- Major contracts
- Grants
- Infrastructure projects
- Capital improvements
- Financial reports
Government should spend taxpayer money as openly as families manage their household budgets.
Step 5: Track Government Performance
Citizens deserve more than promises.
They deserve results.
The People’s Table will publish performance information whenever practical, allowing citizens to review how agencies are serving Oklahoma.
Examples include:
- Agency goals
- Performance measurements
- Project updates
- Financial accountability
- Public reports
Transparency encourages better government.
Step 6: Legislative Report Cards
Citizens deserve to know how their elected officials are representing them.
The People’s Table will include easy-to-understand legislative report cards showing information such as:
- Voting history
- Bill sponsorship
- Committee participation
- Attendance
- Public priorities
- District polling results through the People’s App
The purpose is not to embarrass anyone.
The purpose is accountability.
Step 7: Connect with the People’s App
The People’s Table and the People’s App work together.
The People’s Table provides the information.
The People’s App allows elected officials to hear directly from the people through real-time polling.
Together they create a government that is both transparent and responsive.
Step 8: Public Audits and Accountability
When government agencies fall short, the people deserve to know.
The People’s Table will publish:
- Audit findings
- Inspector reports
- Financial reviews
- Corrective action plans
- Progress updates
Problems should be corrected—not hidden.
Step 9: Open Government by Default
Whenever legally possible, government information should be public.
Instead of asking:
“Why should we release this?”
Government should ask:
“Why shouldn’t we release this?”
Transparency should become the default—not the exception.
Step 10: Build Trust Through Openness
Trust cannot be demanded.
It must be earned.
When citizens can easily see what government is doing, how money is being spent, why decisions are being made, and how elected officials are performing, confidence grows.
Government works better when citizens are informed.
The Goal
The People’s Table is more than a website.
It is a commitment to a new way of governing.
Instead of information being scattered across agencies and hidden behind bureaucracy, Oklahoma citizens will have one place to see what their government is doing.
Combined with the People’s App, the People’s Table creates a government that listens to the people while allowing the people to see their government at work.
Transparency creates accountability.
Accountability builds trust.
Trust strengthens democracy.
Because if government belongs to the people…
The people deserve a permanent seat at the table.