Track Government Spending With Your Phone

A new app allows taxpayers to search spending by ZIP code.

By ADAM ANDRZEJEWSKI

With the United States drowning in runaway spending and debt now nearing $17 trillion, Americans might like to know where Uncle Sam is stashing their cash. Now they can. As long as you have the Web or a smartphone, you can track federal spending down to your own neighborhood. Be prepared, though, because the results aren't pretty.

I've lived in Illinois since I was born, and I've watched as politicians from both parties wasted taxpayer money and profited from public largess. In 2010, I even ran for governor in the Republican primary on a platform of "Every dime, online, in real time." I lost—but I didn't give up on my goal.

I started a nonprofit focused on government transparency, and this March we released our transparency app, Open the Books. It's free on Apple and Droid platforms and can be accessed on the Web at www.openthebooks.com. The app gives every taxpayer access to 12 years of federal spending.

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424..._LEFTTopOpinion