I worked at the CIWMB as a law clerk during my third year of law school. I was impressed by the staff and the mission. I felt like the agency really is on the forefront of the unglamorous but very important world of dealing with waste.
However, the agency is run by a board of part-time, $132,000 a year salary people who play no real role. The Board positions are used to rewarded termed out legislators and formers aides to governors, and they lack any sort of real expertise in their field. There is absolutely no reason why this agency could not be run by a single, appointed head.
However, the reason it probably will not happen is that the legislature will not want to give up it's ability to appoint some of the members. Unlike the federal government, there is no constitutional separation of powers issue when it comes to the legislative branch appointing members of executive agencies. It's not something a Democratic legislature wants to give up in a state that routinely elects Republican governors.
Arnold is proposing getting ride of the CIWMB, and while I'm not one of his biggest fans, I hope he gets his way on this one. That money can be better spent elsewhere.
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Waste Board Unite!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on getting rid of the board, though it may be the only glamorous part of the CIWMB. It's sort of like the EPA's royal family or something.
I know, my post is really just class warfare. The royalist are keeping the working man down!
ReplyDeleteAll power to the Soviets!