If you work in the public sector — or know someone who does — you've probably had fun with UtahsRight.com.

Who doesn't like learning how much money someone earns? Eric Watson, who works here in The Tribune newsroom, compiles the list through record requests sent to agencies.

Usually, the agency supplies the information in an electronic spreadsheet. But there's one town that does not give Watson digital data.

Provo prints the names and salaries of its employees and mails it to Watson. Yes, prints it on paper. Yes, through the U.S. Postal Service.

Watson explains:

They’re worried I could screw with their data. You hear of people not trusting the government all the time, but it’s rare when the government doesn’t trust the people, eh?

Watson said he has tried, without success, persuading Provo's human resources department to supply electronic data. Utah law does not mandate supplying documents in electronic format. So Watson scans the hard copies into a digital file.

Watson said that actually increases the potential for errors. Sometimes the computer misreads what the scanner produced. Zeros can become opened and closed parenthesis. A "2" can become a "Z."

Watson said he works to eliminate errors, but the increased likelihood of mistakes exists.

— NC

Labels: Utah County