Blogging is a new "feature" of the internet. It allows an easier way to update web pages and gives a "log" type setup with some automatic features. This is the second Blog I've created, the first can be seen here.

 
Senate Bill 101 - My Take

I received an email from Lloyd K. this morning regarding Senate Bill 101 asking whether or not I supported this bill.

Let me jump right to the point and say yes.

The bill is modeled off of the Port Commission for Lake Charles, which means it already has a working model that has proven effective.

Second, it prevents a small number of people from effectively seizing control of the Port and using it for their own personal gain.

Third, it attempts to insulate the nomination of Commissioners from being payback for political cronyism.

I don't see any problems with the bill on the surface.

The number of Commissioners is being incremented to seven. Now it will take four people to control the board instead of three. Not a big increase, but one person could make the difference. The positions are unpaid, so we could make it a 30 member board without having to worry about paying anyone.

A single five-year term is plenty of time for someone to make an impact on the board. Other than for ulterior motives, I can't think of any reason why someone would want to spend more time than that in a voluntary position. Where is the gratification? What's the incentive? There has to be some form of payback.

Day to day operations are being left with to the Port Director, which helps keep the cronyism out.

In essence, this bill would make the port run more like a business and less like a government entity, which it is suppose to do anyway. We taxpayers are the shareholders. We vote by proxy through our Congressional representatives who appoint the commissioners, or Board of Directors. The commissioners instruct the Port Director, or CEO, on what direction the port should move on various issues, giving general directions. The Port Director has the duty to execute those directions the best he can with only general oversight by the commissioners. The commissioners are not allowed to micromanage every little detail.

One thing this bill is doing is helping our Congressional leaders both widen and narrow the pool of candidates for these commissioner positions. It widens the pool by asking for nominations from the leading business and civic organizations within St. Bernard Parish. This helps cast a wider net into those who may be worthwhile.

At the same time, these organizations are being asked to supply no more than three names per position to our Congressional leaders which helps limit their choices and should make it easier to choose someone worthy.

With staggering terms, you will always have experienced commissioners on the board, but you will also have rookies. No one person will be there long enough to build an empire, but someone will always be there long enough to remember the actions the board took in the recent past and why they choose that action.

Again, I see no negatives against this bill but plenty of upside. It will be interesting to hear any arguments from people who may oppose the bill.

Be good to yourself,
Westley Annis
westley@da-parish.com
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posted by Westley at 5/04/2005 09:05:00 AM