We also would be able to look through packaging boxes, in case we ever needed to see if something such as a set of dinner plates were broken.

This X-ray vision also would be helpful when it comes to the state government, to determine whether it also is damaged (although we hardly need X-ray vision for that.)

A bill introduced March 17 by state Sen. Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland, would give us this X-ray vision by increasing government transparency through posting all state spending online.

President Barack Obama has repeatedly said government must be more transparent, and that is a principle U.S. citizens can agree with after years of being kept in the dark by former President George W. Bush’s administration.

Whether Obama’s words take any action remains to be seen, but hopefully Michigan can give the transparency dialogue a jump start by enacting the proposed legislation. Maybe it will even trickle down to improving transparency with MSU’s spending.

Opponents to the bill likely will say state spending is too nuanced and complicated for the average citizen to understand, so there would be no need to list the state’s daily transactions.

But why then can any person track bills through the state Legislature’s Web site, legislature.mi.gov?

Aren’t bills just as confusing?

And for every person who doesn’t fully understand an issue, there are others who can provide insight and analysis that will enlighten everyone.

Megan Brown, a spokeswoman for Gov. Jennifer Granholm, said Granholm thinks Kuipers’ bill is too broad. Such a statement is just as confusing as any bill or catalog of spending.

The point of transparency is to cover all bases, to make sure citizens are informed.

Of course, such a measure will be broad, as it prevents government from acting irresponsibly and against the consent of the people.

There can never be too much information when it comes to matters of how the state spends taxpayers’ money.

It’s unfortunate, though, that a bill like this will probably fail. Politicians, as much as they are elected to represent their constituents, have re-elections to think about.

With more information available, politicians are subject to greater scrutiny when they hit the campaign trail. To ensure their political careers don’t get thrown under a microscope, politicians will generally shy away from transparency.

But transparency is a significant issue, and hopefully this editorial board is incorrect in its assessment of the bill’s future.

If only we had X-ray vision to see inside these legislators’ heads.