I agree with WC. The success of any organization or effort depends on the quality of people in charge. Who is sticking up for taxpayers. They take advantage and stick it to us then send us the bill.
Funny that the private equity guys who did the corrupting aren't called out. That's who he was working for at the time. He was a private placement agent acting on behalf of at least one private equity firm; he was not a CalPERS employee at that time.
Mr. Buenrostro, on the other hand, was a CalPERS employee.
The problem isn't the public sector, but the revolving door between the public and private sectors. Wherever public and private interests meet, there is room for corruption. Best to seal off the two and keep public public and private private. Neither money nor personnel should cross that boundary.
Thanks, W.C. Yes, that is precisely the problem, and as noted in that article, it is very common among all business sectors and political/regulatory agencies.
From your linked article:
'In truth, we see the "revolving door" in almost all industries and sectors of government, and it's a corrupting influence on both government and industry. So, for example, ObamaCare architect Liz Fowler left government for a high-paying Big Pharma job, while top Obama Administration officials are looking for high-paying K street lobbying jobs. How high-paying? "Salaries for former Obama cabinet officials could start at $1 million while former assistants and special assistants can make more than $500,000 and $300,000, respectively." Likewise, in 2011, a few months after approving a controversial merger involving Comcast, Republican-appointed Federal Communications Commission member Meredith Attwell Baker left to take a high-paying job at . . . Comcast.'
--------------
I was reading another article just the other day about the former president of Southern California Edison who became the president of the CPUC..."cozy" relationships with some of the utility companies and exchanges of money and favors followed, naturally. I'd venture to say that it's more the norm than the exception, unfortunately. We can sit here and trade stories for years. It is a HUGE problem.
11:46 sounds like a fictitious persona. Did you all know that Gus Vina hired consultants Parallax for more than $50,000 to do so called marketing for the strategic plan that includes providing fictitious personas? Apparently, we are still paying them.
No, 11:46 and 4:38 is/are making good points. He/she is calling out the folks who have little knowledge about public governance or economics.
As noted in my post above, the corrupting influence is almost always from the private sector. Very rarely do you see corruption when private and public interests are keep completely separate; and where it does exist, it is on a much smaller scale. The big dollars almost always come from the private sector.
First, the public sector controls such vast sums of money that the private sector is almost always involved by necessity. Every large government organization uses private contractors and purchases from private vendors. The government couldn't function if it had to do and make everything.
Second, there are plenty of examples of corruption that are purely within the public sector. See the city of Bell. Or the University of California, where fatcat administrators gave themselves and their colleagues undisclosed, and apparently illegal, massive perks including five-figure housing allowances and six-figure severance packages.
If you look closely where $tock$ heart used to reside before the transformation you will see a tattoo of Villalobos. Weird but true. We do strange things to honor idols.
Parallax is STILL on the payroll after doing marketing for Gus Vina's so- called Strategic Plan. An actual strategic plan does not need marketing---meaning Gus Vina would not have had to hire Parallax to serve as fictitious personas and post attacks against citizens who ask questions on websites like this, had he known what a strategic plan is!
The reason he hired a so-called marketing firm is because he did not start with the people of Encinitas, but instead told the City Council what they should do. The citizens role in the Strategic Plan was to pay the bill. We are still paying Parallax. End the contract!
Corruption and self-interest rot the very core of government - from local municipalities to the Federal level.
ReplyDeleteRome is falling....
Yes! Let's use a single anecdotal case to draw conclusions about an entire system. How clever.
DeleteEnron proves capitalism can't work.
MH370 proves that airline travel is unsafe.
Wheeeee. Being simple-minded is fun.
OJ Simpson proved that the American justice system never works.
Cold weather at my house last week disproves the concept of global climate change.
I feel clever and smug.
Ostrich syndrome at 11:46AM.
DeleteI agree with WC. The success of any organization or effort depends on the quality of people in charge. Who is sticking up for taxpayers. They take advantage and stick it to us then send us the bill.
DeleteFunny that the private equity guys who did the corrupting aren't called out. That's who he was working for at the time. He was a private placement agent acting on behalf of at least one private equity firm; he was not a CalPERS employee at that time.
DeleteMr. Buenrostro, on the other hand, was a CalPERS employee.
The problem isn't the public sector, but the revolving door between the public and private sectors. Wherever public and private interests meet, there is room for corruption. Best to seal off the two and keep public public and private private. Neither money nor personnel should cross that boundary.
3:54,
DeleteGood insight. See also here:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/01/28/revolving-door-government-ethics/1868597/
Thanks, W.C. Yes, that is precisely the problem, and as noted in that article, it is very common among all business sectors and political/regulatory agencies.
DeleteFrom your linked article:
'In truth, we see the "revolving door" in almost all industries and sectors of government, and it's a corrupting influence on both government and industry. So, for example, ObamaCare architect Liz Fowler left government for a high-paying Big Pharma job, while top Obama Administration officials are looking for high-paying K street lobbying jobs. How high-paying? "Salaries for former Obama cabinet officials could start at $1 million while former assistants and special assistants can make more than $500,000 and $300,000, respectively." Likewise, in 2011, a few months after approving a controversial merger involving Comcast, Republican-appointed Federal Communications Commission member Meredith Attwell Baker left to take a high-paying job at . . . Comcast.'
--------------
I was reading another article just the other day about the former president of Southern California Edison who became the president of the CPUC..."cozy" relationships with some of the utility companies and exchanges of money and favors followed, naturally. I'd venture to say that it's more the norm than the exception, unfortunately. We can sit here and trade stories for years. It is a HUGE problem.
http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-fi-puc-president-peevey-to-not-seek-reappointment-20141009-story.html
How do I contact the writer of this blog?
ReplyDeleteencinitasundercover at gmail
DeleteWow!!! City council votes to keep ff fat and happy. Such a shocking surprise ..... I never would have guessed.
ReplyDeleteCity Council votes poorly and will be rewarded by being fired next election.
DeleteAnon 12:53 PM,
DeleteWhat in the world are you talking about? Links? When did they vote to "keep ff fat and happy"?
Eagerly awaiting your response...
Still waiting for a response, Anon 12:53 PM.
Delete12:53PM What is ff?
ReplyDeleteFire fighters
Delete11:46 sounds like a fictitious persona. Did you all know that Gus Vina hired consultants Parallax for more than $50,000 to do so called marketing for the strategic plan that includes providing fictitious personas? Apparently, we are still paying them.
ReplyDeleteThat you 11:46???
Nope. But I doubt My answer will do anything to disabuse you of your paranoid fantasy.
DeleteCheck the city contracts, oh ye of little faith. Fictitious personas: $50K. 11:46 and 4:38 do an uncanny imitation of one.
DeleteNo, 11:46 and 4:38 is/are making good points. He/she is calling out the folks who have little knowledge about public governance or economics.
DeleteAs noted in my post above, the corrupting influence is almost always from the private sector. Very rarely do you see corruption when private and public interests are keep completely separate; and where it does exist, it is on a much smaller scale. The big dollars almost always come from the private sector.
11:21,
DeleteI think you're somewhat on the wrong track there.
First, the public sector controls such vast sums of money that the private sector is almost always involved by necessity. Every large government organization uses private contractors and purchases from private vendors. The government couldn't function if it had to do and make everything.
Second, there are plenty of examples of corruption that are purely within the public sector. See the city of Bell. Or the University of California, where fatcat administrators gave themselves and their colleagues undisclosed, and apparently illegal, massive perks including five-figure housing allowances and six-figure severance packages.
http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/UC-audit-blasts-administrators-president-s-office-2535926.php
11:46AM feels clever and smug. More like naïve.
ReplyDeleteWas he Jerome $tock$'$ father?
ReplyDeleteI heard the funeral is being sponsored by $tock$.
ReplyDeleteIf you look closely where $tock$ heart used to reside before the transformation you will see a tattoo of Villalobos. Weird but true. We do strange things to honor idols.
ReplyDeleteParallax is STILL on the payroll after doing marketing for Gus Vina's so- called Strategic Plan. An actual strategic plan does not need marketing---meaning Gus Vina would not have had to hire Parallax to serve as fictitious personas and post attacks against citizens who ask questions on websites like this, had he known what a strategic plan is!
ReplyDeleteThe reason he hired a so-called marketing firm is because he did not start with the people of Encinitas, but instead told the City Council what they should do. The citizens role in the Strategic Plan was to pay the bill. We are still paying Parallax. End the contract!