How Boards and Commissions Stack the Deck Against Taxpayers
Rep. Jay Martin passed a good bill to form a special commission. Its job was to review all of the state's thousands of boards and commissions in order to eliminate the ones that were unecessary. Unfortunately, the big-government system beat him on that one. Only three commissions, which had not met in 20 years, were eliminated. Then the commission to review and eliminate commissions was itself dissolved by the ledge.I once thought that boards and commissions were mostly just a way for politicians to reward their supporters with a title and a small budget as patronage. Unfortunately, it is a lot worse than that. The way our system is set up stacks the deck against the taxpayers and for big-government special interests.
(continued- click SATURDAY below and scroll down for rest of article)
posted by Mark Moore (Moderator) at Saturday, February 24, 2007
3 Comments:
A supporter of an office holder would desire an appointment to a board or a commission because they have a vested interest in that area. Who would be interested in an appointment to a board that oversees policy for electrical utilities? People who work for a utility company of course!
Who would want to sit on a commission about Pre-K "education"? Why a social worker or someone who benefits when there is more Pre-K of course!
In almost every case, people who seek out positions on these boards are those who have a vested interest in taking money from the pockets of taxpayers and placing it in the pockets of those involved in that industry. And since they are on the "State Appointed Commission" to look into such matters, who do the legislators turn to when looking for "experts" on bills for a given area? Why, the commission of course!
What the system now does is take a group of people who want in your pockets, and gives them a network with a budget from your pockets, so they can plot and scheme for ways to get more money from your pockets to their industry. And since it is an official state-approved body, they get the legitimacy of being called as the official state experts, instead of just another bunch of lobbyists!
Jay Martin's idea should be retried, and this time have a serious paring down of the boards and commissions in this state. Until that happens, legislators will get their information through a distorted lens at these hearings. Until then, you are playing against a stacked deck when you ask them to let you keep your earnings instead of take it for the political class.
Good catch Mr. Moore!
Here is the original press:
http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/03/26/News/319164.html
I wonder who was on the "GEAR Committee" that they did such a lousy job.
Are you talking about this bill?
http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2007/public/SB225.pdf
Funny how the legislature can pass something like this through and not one of our "so called" conservative legislators did anything to stop it.
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