Patti Hart  Posts from the Houston Chronicle's City & State
columnist  How does your elected representative make a living?
A week ago Monday, I drove to downtown Austin, parked, fed a
parking meter, and walked to the office building that houses the
records of the Texas Ethics Commission. There, I filled out a
form, providing my name, address and telephone number, in order
to see the personal financial statements of Houston area
lawmakers. I paid $83 and change to get copies.  Why couldn’t I
save myself time and money and just view the disclosure forms
online?  Our lawmakers have resisted making it easier for the
average citizen to take a peak at their personal finances
disclosures forms, which have been legally required since the
Sharpstown bribery scandal of the early 1970s. They acknowledge
that the public has a right to know if they have conflicts of
interest, but they’ve been reluctant to step into the digital
age and make their disclosures available online.  The
Legislature has the opportunity this ses