New web site reveals government spending, state-salaried payrolls

Want to know how much state workers are making?

Get all the juicy info here: http://www.seethroughny.net/

The website was launched at noon Thursday by the Empire Center for New York State Policy. Part of the fiscally conservative Manhattan Institute think tank, the group wants to make government expenditures especially transparent with the web site.

The web site compares state lawmakers' individual expenses, pork-barrel spending and other government expenditures.

A spokesperson at the Empire Center said the website has been "bombarded" since it launched. "There's been an insane amount of hits," said Tim Hoefer, saying the site has actually slowed to a crawl.

As of 4:15 p.m. the site received 6,579 first-time visitors. The actual number of visitors is probably higher, considering shared IP addresses (by state workers, for example).

And the site registered 38,172 page loads in just over four hours since it launched. "And it keeps going up," said Hoefer, estimating an average of 130 page loads per minute.

"We knew it would be big," said Hoefer. "As much as people are curious about other people's salaries, you also have a right to know where your tax dollars are going."

Discuss:  What do you think of this website?  Do you think it's a good idea to reveal the salaries of all government employees?  Leave your thoughts and comments below and answer our webpoll question on the bottom right hand corner of the homepage.