Back in 2005 when Governor Schwarzenegger was still attempting to
govern, he submitted his reorganization plan, the California
Performance Review, to the Little Hoover Commission and the people of
California. The Governor promised that implementing the plan (which
never happened) was going to save us billions of dollars by
streamlining California government and making it more effective. The
plan recommended the elimination of 88 boards and commissions that
were unnecessary and costly to the people of California.
Among the 88 is a little-known group, the California Integrated Waste
Management Board. In case you were not aware, the Board promotes
“Zero Waste California” in partnership with local government,
industry, and the public. Not only did the California Performance
Review recommend eliminating the board, it said the following about
the board members: “In this particular case, an independently
appointed board of full-time, term appointed members creates an
obstacle to full integration of these functions with a coordinated,
collaborative environmental cleanup strategy.”
Rather than fight for the elimination of this board as his own
commission recommended, the Governor waited a year and in January
2006 appointed Margo Reid Brown to the board, where she currently
enjoys a $132,000 annual salary. In February 2006, after a full month
of experience on the board, she was named its Chair. While her bio
lists absolutely no experience in waste management, it does show that
she was the Director of Scheduling for Governor Schwarzenegger, a
position she also held for former Governor Pete Wilson. While it is
tempting to suggest that there is no better way to learn about waste
than to work directly for the Governor, it still seems as if a board
chair should have more than 30 days experience.
This leads to our discussion of former State Senator Carole Migden
(San Francisco, 3rd). If her name rings a bell, it is for good
reason. In June of this year, Migden was the first sitting
California legislator in twelve years to be defeated in a primary.
It’s possible her defeat had something to do with being fined
$350,000 by the Fair Political Practices Commission earlier this year
for 89 separate campaign violations, including spending more than
$16,000 that “conferred a substantial personal benefit.” This is not
her first penalty from the FPPC, and this time the fines cover not
only her term as a State Senator, but also as an Assemblyperson and
as a member of the Board of Equalization.
What did the Governor do? Proving he has no sense of shame or irony,
he has appointed Migden to the board of the California Integrated
Waste Management Board. For her multiple legal and ethical
transgressions, for being booted out of office in a state where
almost no one get booted out of office, and for having absolutely no
experience in waste management, the Governor rewards her with a
$132,000-a-year job on a board that his own Performance Review said
is wasting taxpayers’ money.
So that you don’t think Brown and Migden are exceptions, let’s look
at two more board members, both appointed this month.
Assembly Speaker Karen Bass appointed John Laird to the board, after
Laird was termed out of the Assembly. His bio shows that during his
time in the Assembly, he authored 82 bills that were signed into law
and was a leader in civil rights, coastal protection, children’s
health, and higher education. Nothing about waste management
experience. Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata appointed termed-out
State Senator Sheila Kuehl to the board. Her bio mentions her
success as a child actress, but again, absolutely nothing about waste
management.
As a state, we are close to $30 billion in debt and it appears we
will run out of money sometime in February. We are cutting programs,
threatening to raise taxes, putting schools on alert that we’re going
to have to fire teachers, and leaving roads unpaved and bridges ready
to collapse. The Governor has thrown up his hands and compares the
California State Legislature to kindergartners for their inability to
reach a budget solution. Unemployment is climbing and many if not
most Californians are struggling at some level.
However, we should all be comforted by the fact that no matter their
lack of experience, qualifications or ethics, no politician in
Sacramento will be out of a well-paying job as long as the Governor
is there. Perhaps the Governor misunderstood that the Board is
responsible for recycling waste tires, personal computers and used
oil – not washed-up politicians.