Posted on 07/30/2004 1:13:21 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO (AP) - A plan to reorganize state government that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will release next week will propose eliminating one third of the state work force, hundreds of state boards and commissions while possibly saving $32 billion over the next five years.
Details in the 2,500-page report obtained Friday by The Associated Press also include contracting out government work to private contractors and requiring college and university students perform community service.
Months in the making, the sweeping report by the California Performance Review Board is already being called a power grab by critics and would mark the biggest reorganization of government since the 1960s. If approved by the Legislature, it would change everything from how soon children can enter kindergarten to greatly increasing the amount Californians could win in pooled lotteries with other states.
"California's spirit is alive and well, but in one vital area the state is ailing," the report states. "Once the envy of the nation, today our state government fails the people of California, and it fails the men and women who have given their careers to its service."
Officials involved in the reorganization effort declined comment Friday, and a Schwarzenegger aide also said the governor hasn't received a copy of the report yet, and didn't expect to see it until it was released on Tuesday.
Bill Leonard, a member of the Board of Equalization and a former legislator who was briefed on the report last month, said the report is "looking for less boards and commissions and a flatter organization chart, where the lines of responsibility would be clearer."
The report's reform proposals suggests a massive consolidation of state operations by combining 11 agencies and 66 departments into 11 major departments.
State finances would be controlled by a federal-style Office of Management and Budget, while a Public Safety and Homeland Security Department would oversee all law enforcement authorities who wear a badge, from fish and game investigations to the California Highway Patrol. The plan proposes creating a massive new infrastructure department to oversee water, energy, growth, housing and transportation issues in a state of 36 million people expected to reach 50 million by 2040.
Finally, it would create new super-departments to oversee the environment, commerce and consumer protection. Another would oversee health and welfare programs, now one of the state's biggest costs at $24.6 billion a year.
The report compiled in secret by 275 state employees, administration officials and consultants, has been delayed until Schwarzenegger won legislative approval for a $105 billion budget he expects to sign Saturday.
Schwarzenegger's California review resembles a National Performance Review started a decade ago by former President Clinton, who credited his panel with saving taxpayers billions of dollars by streamlining the federal bureaucracy and reinventing government operations.
In January, the governor promised to "blow up" the various boxes of state government, and he has also pitched a variety of government reform ideas, such as replacing the state's full-time Legislature with part-time lawmakers.
"The overall tone and tenor of the performance review is to put more power under the executive branch," said Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez.
The report's release Tuesday will kick off a monthslong process that includes five statewide hearings before the commission's 21 members in August and September. Afterward, the state's government watchdog, the Little Hoover Commission, will make recommendations to Schwarzenegger and the Legislature.
Next year, Schwarzenegger will propose a final version of his plan to the Legislature.
A summary of the plans to reorganize public education includes granting broader powers to the governor's secretary of education. It also recommends the secretary head a new Department of Education and Workforce Preparation and "develop, implement and disseminate coherent policy" for public education through the community college level. The more powerful education secretary would be charged with ensuring that California's education programs are effective and with evaluating the state's labor market to guarantee a supply of skilled workers.
The plan differs slightly from a proposed master plan for education that's languishing in the Legislature, which would put the Department of Education under the secretary, instead of the elected superintendent. The superintendent, under the master plan, would have more of an inspector general role, ensuring the education programs implemented by the secretary, the board and the department were effective.
Both the master plan and the performance review put secretary in charge of policy, which both say makes the governor more accountable for public schools' successes and failures.
In turn, the state would abolish its elected state superintendent of public instruction, who oversees the state Department of Education, and its 11-member governor-appointed Board of Education which sets such state education policy as academic standards.
The report also suggests changing the state constitution to abolish 58 county school superintendents and boards of education.
All of this is easy posturing, critics said Friday.
"It's very facile and easily glib to say 'Combine 'em all and save something on personnel,'" said former assemblywoman and now Board of Equalization Chair Carole Migden.
Merging the board, Franchise Tax Board and Employment Development Department ignores the fact all "have separate functions, separate areas of expertise," Migden said. "It's a diversion of attention away from the real problem, which are rampant, runaway tax giveaways."
Fellow board member Leonard, a Republican, said he was excited about the plan.
"It would be so much easier if there was just one board and one phone number" for taxpayers to call, he said.
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On the Net: Visit the California Performance Review online at http://cpr.ca.gov/
BTW... streamlining the overall organization of state government is good. Here are but a few details coming out that I look upon less enthusiastically and hardly as 'sweeping reform':
- Ask Medi-Cal recipients to contribute more for doctors visits and prescription drugs
- Require community service from students at public colleges and universities
- Raise out-of-state college and university fees
- Issue electronic debit cards for Women, Infant and Children's program
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-Turn driver's license written tests into a learning experience. Applicants couldn't fail, because they would be fed new questions by a touch-screen computer kiosk until they got enough correct. The report says nearly a third of otherwise good drivers routinely fail, and there is little correlation between failing the test and driving performance or accident rates.
-Use two-year state budgets to give officials time to evaluate programs.
-Transfer more than a tenth of state roadways to local governments to operate and maintain.
-Use radar-controlled cameras to enforce highway work zone speed laws. Violators would be mailed a ticket, similar to new red light cameras.
http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040730/APF/407301066
The most positive aspect of the proposal is reducing the state government workforce by a third. Most of the bureaucracy is simply superfluous and stands in the way of California's economic renaissance. Fewer departments would mean greatly accountability and more improved delivery of public services. The Democrats and public employee unions are going to fight this common sense reform tooth and nail both cause it would eliminate a source of patronage and reduce overall union clout. I would be very surprised if these proposed changes ever see the light of day.
unhinged.. crying over critiques.. unappreciative of anything the Gub..
Yeah, so.. girly-men ;-)
I hope we remember this is a plan is at least a year from even being voted on by legislature, if then..
we can beat each other silly but any true savings anywhere in this gub-mint or its operatons and its indebtedness is sadly lacking, so far.
you wanna cry about criticism and the past and kick Tombots until yur blue, fine.. we got time and thick skin.. ;-)
You want to do something else about it in the mean time to help relieve stress FRom reading posts at FR, consider http://fairdistricts.com
Steiger's Law:
No one will fight as hard to dismantle an agency as those inside the agency will fight to preserve it.
Davisson's Corrolary to Steiger's Law
The likelihood of an agency's preservation is inversely proportional to the value of the service the agency provides. When the value of the service is nonexistent, the agency is guaranteed permanent status.
Get ready for a bloody fight. I wonder if Arnie can win this one... he has a 70% approval rating!
Fabian is gonna have gray hair before he moves on from Assmebly speaker. Arnold uses Ronaldus Formula #5 ,, his hair color is secure for quite some time ;-)
Note I was refraining from any criticism, but some people were carrying it too far and attacking those giving any credit to Arnold.
FRom AP on Bakersfield Caifornian
A look at draft proposals from the California Performance Review California Performance Review recommendations at a glance:
-Eliminate 12,000 state jobs through attrition
-Combine 11 state agencies and 79 departments into 11 departments
- Merge 25 state entities into one California Infrastructure Department
- Gain higher lottery proceeds by joining other states for large lottery payouts
- Cut travel costs by booking all airline flights online
- Let Californians renew driver's licenses online
- Merge 20 state entities into new Department of Education and Work Force Preparation run by the governor
- Abolish county superintendent offices and county boards of education
- Change cutoff date for kindergarten from Dec. 2 to Sept. 1, requiring children to be older upon entry
- Ask Medi-Cal recipients to contribute more for doctors visits and prescription drugs
- Eliminate 118 of 339 boards and commissions in executive branch
- Require community service from students at public colleges and universities
- Raise out-of-state college and university fees
- Issue electronic debit cards for Women, Infant and Children's program
---
Estimated five-year savings from recommendations:
$13 billion, general government
$7.6 billion, public safety
$6.4 billion, statewide operations
$4.9 billion, health and human services
$4.1 billion, education, training and volunteerism
$3.3 billion, infrastructure
---
Suggested boards and commissions to eliminate:
Banking Advisory Council
Board of Barbering and Cosmetology
Bureau of Hearing Aid Dispensers Advisory Committee
California Horse Racing Board
Contractors State Licensing Board
Integrated Waste Management Board
Fair Employment and Housing Commission
Industrial Welfare Commission
Air Resources Board
Board of Forestry and Fire Protection
California Transportation Commission
High Speed Rail Authority
Board of Prison Terms
California Energy Commission
Franchise Tax Board
State Lands Commission
State Water Resources Control Board
---
Among other suggestions:
-Turn driver's license written tests into a learning experience. Applicants couldn't fail, because they would be fed new questions by a touch-screen computer kiosk until they got enough correct. The report says nearly a third of otherwise good drivers routinely fail, and there is little correlation between failing the test and driving performance or accident rates.
-Allow "e-payments," so people and businesses could pay their state bills electronically.
-Use two-year state budgets to give officials time to evaluate programs.
-Transfer more than a tenth of state roadways to local governments to operate and maintain.
-Use radar-controlled cameras to enforce highway work zone speed laws. Violators would be mailed a ticket, similar to new red light cameras.
Source: California Performance Review
Not anymore, he doesn't! It's dropped dramatically to around 57% according to a poll released just after the "girlie men" comment and the failure to get the budget passed on time.(about a week ago, according to a news report I watched) That's about a 13% drop in about a month... Whoa Baby!!!
In politics, it's ALWAYS "What have you done for me, lately!" Not "What have you SAID you were gonna do for me!"
He shouldn't, because I've never supported him in any possible way!!! You know that. I won't support this till I find out what the heck it says it's gonna do, but you're already blindly GUNG-HO!!!
Oh... And jumpin in the middle of my back because you're sore because some of us won't join your silly little posse that swoons everytime they catch a possible breath of air that he's gonna try real hard to do something right, once again after he seemed to be on the right track on one or two things, his first week in office... Holy Toledo! Give it up till you've seen what's up, will ya??? Get a GRIP!!! E-GAD!!! Whew!!!
Hope springs eternal and it's gittin too funny as pure entertainment... I haven't had so much fun since the pigs ate my little brother!!! (snort!)
LOL, $6 billion is what percent of $100 billion? Now, since that budget has been going up seven percent, how much less will a 6% cut be than it would have been?
You folks carp all day long about wanting Schwarzenegger to make cuts, but when the study is done and cuts are about to be implemented, you folks find every excuse in the book to be unhappy about that too.
Who set up this commission? McClintock? NO! It was Arnold Schwarzenegger. We souldn't even be contemplating this action if weren't for him. Are you happy about that? Heck no?
It's really pointless to discuss this with you folks, because you wouldnt' be happy if Schwarzenegger cut the budget in half, turned the state house to Repbulican and did away with the state personal income tax. Why? Because he would always be judged to be about ready to do something you don't like.
We're talking $32 billion in state budget cuts, and all you folks can do is whine. Well, go ahead and whine.
Cool! No more Franchise Tax Board.
Does that mean we don't have to pay taxes anymore?
No more Board of Prison Terms either.
So... do they just give them all automatic parole then?
I think I can live without many of these things, but as you point out, we need more details to make an honest assessment as to whether the recommendations are prudent.
The devil is always in the details.
And I guess this reduction is by attrition, which means the unions are powerless to stop it. It probably also means a gradual shift toward contracting-out of some functions now done by state employees. This should get interesting. I think Arnold's ability to connect with the wide-swath of Californians is even greater than Reagan's ability when he was governor. Arnold's strength seems to be his ability to reach out directly to the people, and stirring them up to positive action.
You know, Norm, we both know that if 25% of these pipedreams were passed, the Public Employee and Teachers Unions and all their sympathasyzers would go absolutely berserk!!! There'd be riots! I mean even some of the damn retired little ol school marms would grab their newly married lesbo spouse and rush the Crapitol and start throwing school desks through the third story windows!!!
The CHP would be overwhelmed and unable to stop them kinda terrorists! They'd be stacken them desks up the side of that building and throwin molotov cocktails through them broken windows, then rushing the parking garage, doin the same thing to all those Mercedes parked in there! It would make Watts and the Rodney King riots look like NOTHING!!!
Can'tcha just see it? I sure can! All those ol biddies running the County offices of Edukayshun will turn militant on PMS in a New York MINUTE!!! The Commonista Revolution will have ARRIVED!!! I can just see the black cloud rising on the western horizon in my mind as I type this scenario!!!
And in the final scene... There goes Arnolds Hummer Limo screamin down the diamond lane of Hwy 99 South,(maybe that's the Hydrogen Highway) with him stickin his head up out the moonroof yellin "I'LL BE BACH!!!" YOU OL BATTLEAXES... I'LL BE BACH!!!
These are among the boards proposed for elimination by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's government review team:
Architects Board
Landscape Architect Technical Committee
Banking Advisory Council
Board of Barbering and Cosmetology
Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
California Horse Racing Board
Contractors' State Licensing Board
Court Reporters Board
Credit Union Advisory Committee
Electronic Commerce Advisory Council
Inspection and Maintenance Review Committee
New Motor Vehicle Board
Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo and Suisun
Private Security Disciplinary Review Commission (North/South)
Alarm Company Operator Disciplinary Review Committee
Real Estate Advisory Commission
Service Agency Advisory Committee
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board
Agricultural Cooperative Bargaining Advisory Committee
Apprenticeship Council
Commission of the Californias
Commission for Economic Development
Commission on Health and Safety and Worker's Compensation
Committee for the Employment of People With Disabilities
Employment Training Panel
Fair Employment and Housing Commission
Industrial Welfare Commission
Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board
Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board
Rehabilitation Appeals Board
Small Business Board
Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board
Air Resources Board
Board of Geologists and Geophysicists
Boating and Waterways Commission
Board of Forestry and Fire Protection
Colorado River Board
Delta Protection Commission
Heritage Preservation Commission
Historical Resources Commission
Integrated Waste Management Board
Interagency Aquatic Invasive Species Council
Oil Spill Technical Advisory Commission
Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreational Commission
State Lands Commission
State Water Resources Control Board
Regional Water Quality Control Boards
Structural Pest Control Board
Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority
Board of Reclamation
Building Standards Commission
California Transportation Commission
California Water Commission
Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority
Departmental Transportation Advisory Committee
Electricity Oversight Board
Energy Commission
High Speed Rail Authority
Low-Income Oversight Board
Public Library Construction and Renovation Board
Public Works Board
Seismic Safety Commission
State Allocation Board
Tax Credit Allocation Committee
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Advisory Committee
California Career Resources Network
Community College Board of Governors
Education Audit Appeals Board
California Postsecondary Education Commission
Quality of Education Commission
Student Aid Commission
Loan Advisory Council
Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine Advisory Committee
California Commission on Aging
Child Development Policy Advisory Committee
Health Policy and Data Advisory Commission
Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention and Treatment Task Force
Department of Managed Care Advisory Committee and Clinical Advisory Panel
Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board
Medical Assistance Commission
Rural Health Policy Council
911 Advisory Board
Commission on Emergency Medical Services
State Board of Fire Services
Campus Sexual Assault Task Force
Racial Profiling Panel
Board of Prison Terms
Correctional Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission
Joint Venture Policy Advisory Board
Narcotics Addiction Evaluation Authority
Prison Industry Authority
Youth Authority Board
Athletic Commission
Bipartisan Commission on Internet Political Practices
Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind
Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs
Holocaust, Genocide, Human Rights and Tolerance Education Task Force
Commission on the Status of Women
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Commission
Commission on Uniform State Laws
Franchise Tax Board
Summer School for the Arts Board of Trustees
Veterans Board
Governor's Commission on Veterans Cemeteries
I guess I'll just need to dig up the links to Tom's BRAC legislation and State Budget Proposal Analysis from 1995 that makes recommendations that will be mirrored to a great degree in what is being proposed here.
Or would that, like Tom, be irrelevant? ;-)
"Ooops there goes another rubbertree plant!"
Hey DFU! Can you pick it up after I hum a few bars???(smirk)(make it sound just like Sinatra sang it, will ya?)
Like approve the Sierra Conservancy, another boondoggle in the finest traditions of the "powers that really be" in this state.
We are activists here, not pacifists and mo matter how much you spin Arnie as a saviour, he was a late arrival to the party w/a lot of words and no plans, and this repeated slamming at Tom is just more proof of what some folks here will swallow so willingly in the name of progress.. need I repeat, the largest state budget ever.
Let's digest his proposal and we'll go from there.
Of course it's not irrelevent. If this commission was smart enough to reveiew Tom's earlier work, both should get kudos for their efforts. I have no problem at all sharing what I hope will be a good outcome. Now, let's see someone from the other side acknowledge it if Schwarzenegger's commission did tap Tom's ideas, and show some of the same respect for the effort as they would have if Tom were Governor.
"...and this repeated slamming at Tom is just more proof of what some folks here will swallow so willingly in the name of progress.. need I repeat, the largest state budget ever."
Norm, I wish we had a dufus alert on this forum. Schwarzenegger's commission has come up with suggestions to cut state government by 33%. Once again you you pipe up that the state budet this year was larger than the last.
Does it not occur to your we're on the same topic here? His commission has proposed 33% cuts. What part of that does not register with you?
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