In his ambitious reform agenda, Governor Schwarzenegger has
called for the elimination of hundreds of government boards and
commissions throughout California’s bureaucracy. Many of these have
outlived their usefulness and interfere with the efficient and
accountable delivery of services. The California Coastal Commission
is one that needs to be added to the Governor’s list.
Dear Editor,
In his ambitious reform agenda, Governor Schwarzenegger has called for the elimination of hundreds of government boards and commissions throughout California’s bureaucracy. Many of these have outlived their usefulness and interfere with the efficient and accountable delivery of services. The California Coastal Commission is one that needs to be added to the Governor’s list.
The Coastal Commission was created by Proposition 20, which narrowly passed in 1972. The State Legislature later acted to make the commission permanent.
The commission was originally created to work with local governments to develop local coastal plans. Over the years, however, the commission has developed into a wasteful bureaucracy that has been associated with several serious problems, including corruption, pay-offs, violations of private property rights, arbitrary decision-making and bureaucratic mismanagement.
One commissioner went to jail for extorting payments from people seeking permits to build on the Southern California coast. Is this the right way to protect the coast?
The 3rd District Court of Appeals ruled last year that the Coastal Commission was unconstitutional in that it violates the constitutional doctrine of separation powers. The regulation of coastal development should be left up to local governments. The Coastal Commission now has jurisdiction in 15 counties and 45 cities.
Why are we taking power away from locally elected officials, and giving it to political appointees of state politicians? Decisions regarding local land should be made by local people, the same people that actually live there, work there, and use the land.
Just last month, yet another report was released by the nonpartisan California Legislative Analyst’s Office that highlighted the commission’s ineffectiveness and inefficient practices. The commission, responsible for “protecting” California’s coastline, is required to set aside coastal land for the public’s benefit. The report stressed that the commission has miserably failed to achieve this objective. Since 1977, the commission has failed to utilize over 40 percent of lands entrusted to them to be used for public purposes. In many areas, these lands are in danger of being lost forever.
It is this type of government inefficiency and bureaucracy that the people of California are tired with. The State of California spends over $15 million in state and federal funding on the Coastal Commission bureaucracy.
At the same time, we are cutting back funding for rural sheriffs and district attorneys who are trying to protect our safety. It’s time that we as a state get our priorities straight and focus on the issues which are truly important. The California Coastal Commission is not one of them.
Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Merced
