The Scandal of Government Lobbying Government: The Children and Families Commission
A while back we posted a story about the OC Grand Jury callying for a lobbyist registry. They also attacked the practice of government agencies paying lobbyists to lobby other government agencies. Teri Sforza at the OC Watchdog did a post, here.
Yes, it certainly seems even more disturbing when practiced by opaque agencies like Water Districts and of course, by our old pals at the Children and Families Commission.
As we have amply documented, this commission has paid Curt Pringle to lobby on its behalf and it has also employed the services of former State legistalor Phil Isenberg. Just yesterday we did a post about wordsmith Matthew J. Cunningham raking in some big bucks getting ready and attending a lunch for legislative staffers. Presumably the whole thing was a lobbying sales job.
The worst part of this of course, is that the OC commission is not lobbying for itself. No point in that – unless there’s a call to change the money distribution formula to benefit OC. No, all these hundreds of thousands of lobbying dollars are going to defend Prop 10 revenue in general. In other words, the OC Children and Families Commissions is spending all this dough lobbying for the other 57 counties’ First Five Commissions.
Are these other counties lobbying themselves? Who knows. Not unlikely. But this just emphasizes the point that the whole thing is out of control – no matter how many times Cunningham ghost writes blather about how well run they are.
And while we’re at it, let’s remember The White House Writers Group and their six-figure contract to promote the commission outside around the country!
If you think about it the whole thing really stinks. Time to pick off the scab on the commission and see what’s supperating underneath.
I was wondering about that when I saw that Cunningham creep writing op-ed pieces for Delaine Eastin and stuff that appeared in newspapers outside OC.
There really is a big problem at this commission. maybe Nelson can clean house on that commission board and quit wasting money on PR and lobbying.
Time for Cunningham to get a real job – earned on merit.
According to Sforza, Daly does it too.
Why?
Government lobbying government. That is just so wrong on many levels.
Government takes our money and in return provides us with services such as public safety and roads for safe, efficient travel. When government is unable to provide those without paid lobbying, we, the People, have lost all control.
Greg – The roads in Tiauana are better maintained than the roads of Fullerton. There is a fricking crater on my street that’s been there for 3 years and counting.
Cunningham is running scared. His livelihood is the liberal Childrens and Families Commission, without that he has nothing.
This would be a great project for Shawn — maybe team it up with Moorlach’s opposition to the Human Relations Commission. While they’re at it, what does Housing & Community Services (130+ staff), the Cemetery office (18 staff), the Community Services Agency (60+) DO? Why can’t some of these Agencies be merged: Social Services (3600+), Healthcare (2300+), Child Support Services (650+). These numbers for FTEs from 2004 also show 100 people in Mauk’s Executive Office — there’s another collection of part-timers. I’d love to know how much double-dipping is going on here as well. And of course, the best question of all is how much of this can be outsourced?
According to Matt, this only matters if you smoke!
This is why I think the First 5 Commissions are really covered by the racketeering laws.
The only pol with a clue, even though he’s got some other not so great ideas about life, is Dave Cox.
They’ve been able to paint him as a right winger, but if so many counties think that First 5 has too many problems that they need to make them county departments (i.e. Riverside and now i hear Contra Costa), the Cox is a man with clarity on this item.
We should take heed else we will be paying for pensions statewide for these people.
Here’s more on First 5 Commission problems:
http://www.halfwaytoconcord.com/grand-jury-first-five-commission/
We’re now almost to 100 comments up here in the Bay – we even have a First 5 Commissioner trying to load an entirely new County Committee with ONLY First 5 connected people – come see!
I meant “new” as in another committee, not in “newly established”