CHRB Gets Comeuppance

Citing many of the CHRB's failures, a state Senate budget sub-committee pulled their funding for the 2007-08 fiscal year this week. The senate took umbrage with CHRB chairman Richard Shapiro's failure to lead the Board to grant a waiver allowing Bay Meadows to remain open an additional two years, once before. Leland Yee then introduced a bill in the Senate calling for Shapiro's resignation. This time the Senate has a much longer list of failures they would like addressed.

Notice also mention of Freedom of Information Act violations. I can vouch for that personally.

Adam Keigwin, spokesman for Yee, insisted the Bay Meadows closure is not the sole issue. He said the commission has been responsible for lax investigation, Freedom of Information Act violations, poor staff morale resulting in numerous resignations, and even requests for taxpayer-funded limousine use. [Bloodhorse]

One item not noted is that the agency is not audited annually, while I know of no other agency that also does not get audited. This would be a fine time for the legislature to call for that,as well.