Feb 12
Overseeing the overseers
in bills, task forces

overseer2.jpgI haven’t seen anything like this before.

 

In an apparent effort to increase oversight over all aspects of state government, Del. Addie Eckardt has sponsored a bill (HB1215) that would establish a new task force, which would study — you guessed it — “task forces, commissions, temporary or ad hoc committees, and related panels.â€

 

Now it may sound wild, but task forces often hold a great deal of power in determining state policy and crafting legislative proposals for the General Assembly. As one example, look at the Homeownership Preservation Task Force formed last year by Gov. Martin O’Malley. With very few exceptions, its recommendations comprise the mortgage reform legislation now being considered by lawmakers.

 

But of course you must see the problem here.

 

Who will form the task force to study the task force studying task forces, commissions, temporary or ad hoc committees, and related panels?

 

One Response to “Overseeing the overseers”
 

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? The traditional answer to that question–the one Plato came up with–is that the overseers oversee themselves. This is supposed to work out because, “We will instill in them a distaste for power or privilege, they will rule because they believe it right, not because they desire it.”

Having lived through a couple of election cycles, I respectfully dissent.

Frank Faragut wrote on February 22nd, 2008 at 3:42 pm

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