by Jack Lee
One of the many things that irks me about CA government is the myriad of State boards and commissions that exist. Some members are highly paid and they cost taxpayers about $9M a year… others are volunteers, but they still cost us in staff and rent. In 2004 the Little Hoover commission was created to see how many of these boards and commissions should be eliminated…88 were declared redundant or obsolete…we still got em! Later during Gov. Schwarzenegger’s time in office 118 of them were proposed for elimination….we still got em!
Now I have heard that Gov. Brown wants to eliminate some of them, well, lets see how that goes, but I won’t be holding my breath.
One danger of these little fiefdoms is their members are not elected (so the public has little direct control) and they create rules and regulations that often carry the weight of law, only without the normal vetting process in the legislature.
same thing Downtown Jack. In fact, while I was out yesterday, the Sustainability Task Force left a pantsful in my e-mail box – part of the conversation was, several of them wanted to know if there was going to be a meeting yesterday, and if so, they wouldn’t be there.
And the $taffer who accommodates these dummies is paid over $85,000 a year, plus benefits and pension. It’s a dilemma for me – she’s a hard worker, and she puts up with a lot of doodly, but it’s like hiring a nanny for the mayor and her playmates, and paying her $85,000+ a year.
Many state boards and commissions could do with downsizing/elimination, as they no longer serve a practical purpose that promote/materialize significant/appreciable goals/outcomes. C.A.R.B. comes to mind.