Re: minutes up

[Ralph Shnelvar <ralphs@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 2 Apr 2005 03:27:58 -0700, you wrote:

>Oops - just found that this never went out.
>---
>The minutes of the ERC meeting from last week are up on the CVV site.
>
>Things seemed to have died down quite a bit. Lynn and Peter were there, but
>I didn't see anyone else. This is a sad state of affairs. This committee
>could very well tell the commissioners to dump the two million bucks they
>dropped on it. Where are all the people that protested its purchase in the
>first place?

Paul, please don't take this the wrong way.  I'm expressing a personal
opinion based on years of watching government.



The reason that you don't see the activists is simple: burnout.

The branch of economics and sociology known as Public Choice Theory easily
predicts burnout.  The reason is that public participants to the ERC process
(any commission process) are two levels removed from any ability to affect
policy.

It simply makes no sense (for even a zealot) to participate in this process
because time can be better spent elsewhere.  

That's not a reflection on you or the ERC.  It is simply a matter of fact.



Governments love to use commissions to burn out volunteers; that is, both
the commissioners and the public.  When commission reports are ignored (as I
suspect the ERC's will be), it further disillusions the activists and
further strengthens the ability of those in power to remain in power.

The commission exists for a while to take the heat off of those responsible
for why the commission was created in the first place.  "Something was done
about the problem" (whatever the particular problem was) and then the
commission, the problem, and the solutions quickly fade from the public's
consciousness.


That's why I am so pleased to see Joe P., etc., NOT be on the ERC.  He is
far more effective as an outside agitator (Bless you, Joe!) than having him
burn out on the ERC's minutiae.

Joe P., Bob M., Al K., etc. are all far more useful keeping the public's
attention on the problem rather than spending huge quantities of time
sitting in a room listening to the commissioners.  Yes, I know that they
only need to be there for the public comments; but let's face it, how much
weight will commissioners give to those who "don't even bother to sit
through a single session"?  The commissioners are human ... and bitterness
and despair are human emotions.  Witness your plaintive tone in "Where are
all the people that protested its purchase in the first place?"



I truly appreciate the huge efforts of the ERC.  If your recommendations are
adopted and your report is actually listened to and implemented then I will
be truly amazed - and I'll buy you a drink - and will likely apply to the
next commission that meets my fancy.

But I have seen report after report and commission after commission at all
levels of government just spin their wheels and nothing comes of the report
and/or the commission.  Perhaps the best example is the Warren Commission
after JFK's death.  And, hell, they had subpoena powers.

My suspicions about the ability of the ERC to actually do anything are
enhanced by your lack of subpoena power.  Yes, Paul, I know that you know
that you need that power ... but the power was not granted; which tells me
that the ERC was eviscerated from the outset.


Ralph Shnelvar