Treasury a Twittering

Rhode Island’s daily cash flow can now be tracked in real-time on Twitter, a social networking site, General Treasurer Frank Caprio announced last week.

“When I took office, I promised to make government more transparent and accountable through the use of new technology,” Caprio said in a press release. “As we look forward, it’s important that government find innovative ways to use existing technology to communicate with the public and increase government transparency. Utilizing Twitter is the next step.”

The treasurer’s office has been using Twitter since October, but began posting cash-flow data last week. The data can be seen at twitter.com/RITreasury. The move follows a pilot project, called Treasury Online Checkbook, which itemizes the department’s expenses on its Web site.

Following the cash flow will allow the public to measure the state’s financial health, Caprio said.

Rhode Island has been hit hard by the recession and housing bubble. It has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country at 10.5% in February, compared to a national average of 8.1% , according to the federal Bureau of Labor statistics.

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