By following RI Treasury, Twitter users will now be able to see how much the state takes in and how much it spends, every day.

PROVIDENCE 3/30/2009 General Treasurer Frank T. Caprio announced today that the Office of the Rhode Island General Treasurer will now be using Twitter to broadcast the State's daily cash flow on a real-time, daily basis.

Cash flow is a measure of Rhode Island's financial health. Each day's publication or "tweet" will highlight the gross revenues and expenditures of the General Fund. "In layman's terms, what money the state takes in and what money is paid out," said Caprio.

"When I took office I promised to make government more transparent and accountable through the use of new technology," said Treasurer Caprio. "Last month I launched Treasury's Online Checkbook, a web site where you the taxpayer can view all of Treasury's spending, from office supplies to salaries," said Caprio.

"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," Caprio said.

What is Twitter?

Twitter is a free social messaging utility for staying connected in real-time. Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co-workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent messages.

People write short updates, often called "tweets", of 140 characters or fewer. These messages are posted to your profile or your blog, sent to your followers, and are searchable on Twitter search. (source:Twitter)

Those interested in signing up for the daily Rhode Island cash flow tweet can do so by visiting the RI Treasury web site: www.treasury.ri.gov and clicking on Twitter or by searching Rhode Island Treasury from their own account and clicking the "follow" button.

"As our State's fiscal crisis escalates, our legislature must make the difficult choices to balance our budget. I hope that this latest effort will serve as a daily reminder to how urgently we need action," said General Treasurer Caprio.

Media Interview Opportunity Today from 2PM-4PM

Media are invited to get a preview of treasury's use of this exciting new technology and interview Treasurer Caprio today, Monday, March 30th from 2PM-4PM in the Office of the General Treasurer, Suite 102, the State House.

Please contact Tim Gray if you would like to set up an interview with Treasurer Caprio during that time period.

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