For years, politicians and bureaucrats in Augusta have spent tax dollars with little regard for, and very little accountability to, the taxpayer. It is time for a change. The state should take several steps to remedy this out of control spending. First, the legislature must seize opportunities to cut some of the wasteful spending throughout state government by establishing a Maine version of the Grace Commission. Next, legislators must enact transparency legislation that would create a search engine capable of tracking state spending, grants, contracts, and earmarks. Finally, the state government should adopt the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which limits spending to the rate of inflation plus population and requires voter approval to exceed that limit or increase taxes.