The rating is from the U.S. Public
Interest Group's annual report on public access to government spending. It's
the second year the state has received a "C'' grade.
Phineas Baxandall is a senior analyst
for U.S. PIRG. He says West Virginia
has extensive, easy-to-access information on state contracts and spending. But
when it comes to economic development subsidies, the state lags.
Ted Boettner of the West Virginia Center
on Budget and Policy said the lack of transparency with state economic development
subsidies has been a continuing problem.