Posted on 07/30/2004 11:17:24 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO — Some of California's most influential business interests — including Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and EDS — were given easy access to a state commission as it met privately to recommend sweeping government changes, according to disclosure reports and interviews.
Public interest groups, in contrast, complained Friday that they were largely excluded from the five-month study, ordered by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
A Microsoft sales official met with a top aide that Schwarzenegger appointed to the California Performance Review, and former Michigan Gov. John Engler, now working for Electronic Data Systems, spent about an hour with the review team because "we wanted information about the ... process," said a spokesman for the Texas-based company, which holds a contract to process Medi-Cal claims.
Other corporations, such as Pitney-Bowes, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Citrix Systems, reported having had dealings with the commission.
Bill Allayaud, state lobbying director for the Sierra Club, strongly criticized the access given to the businesses.
"We weren't part of this," Allayaud said. "I don't know how much influence industry had, but we were not invited to the party. We think this is beyond alarming. The public needs access to the decision-making process. Industry can hire high-paid lobbyists and lawyers to go to Sacramento and fight for their side. The public can't do that."
Schwarzenegger has not yet endorsed the plan, which will be formally presented to him on Tuesday. But it is the cornerstone of his promise to "blow up the boxes" of state government — with the goal of streamlining a bulky bureaucracy and saving billions of dollars.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
so?
I can't believe it!
Do you mean to tell me that Arnie actually dared to consult with some of the people who are represented by the government?
Well, this can't stand.
lol... agreed
The Sierra Club feeeels left out. awwww
Where's Larry Ellison and Oracle? ;-)
Notice how they call environmental groups "public interest" groups. I believe that this has been debunked by several reporters. Most of these groups are big business, special interests that use fear, exageration and emotion rather than science to evoke contributions to their coffers. They have highly paid employees and even more highly paid lawyers who sue over everything. Some like TNC have enormous assets. I just about gag when I hear an environmentalist state at a meeting that they are "speaking for the trees and the animals."
State government has a bureaucratic mind set. I applaud the commission for looking to business for a realistic, common sense perspective.
We have a CalTrans sign that warns of no snow removal 50 or so miles ahead. Between the sign and the snow lies a valley dependent upon tourism. Snow exists only in the winter, yet the tourists don't know that and turn around before going into the valley. I wanted them to put a black plastic bag and some duct tape over the sign until snow fall. CalTrans insisted on an $80,000 solution with flashing lights and a solar power source. (After years of negotiations, they finaly agreed to a blank sign to cover the other one.) That is why we need a business perspective.
The spending increases will still continue (1.5% instead of 7%) at a time when real, significant (9% to 13%) cuts are necessary and now Arnie's donor's get a cut of the action for good measure. No surprises.
What a big mistake the California electorate made. As bizarre as it sounds, there is a growing body of evidence that the state may have well be fiscally better off under Davis than Schwarzenegger for the next three years.
curious how the flock can get fleeced so easily, huh?
Some folks don;t like being told the Recall was hijacked, but near-term, little will have changed at this rate. The liberal spending is pretty much unfettered, the unions are able to wangle deals that may offer a little relief/cuts now, but will receive considerations later,.
How about us, the little people, I guess we aren't special enough to bear consideration, but now will be subjected to all these "fixes" and more of the old gadgetry some here have mastered so well. Strange, huh?
In the mean time, expect lots of parcel taxes and revenue enhancement "fees" at the local level.
What a mess, and now it bears an "R" as an imprint of one of the continuators of this gub'mental charade.
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