THE RETURN OF VOODOO ECONOMICS
Amending SB 1811 by sticking in Callegari’s CSHB 3166 just doesn’t make economic sense…it only moves money from one state pocket to another.
CSHB 3166’s positive Fiscal Note is the result of dumping fees from two Self-Directed/Semi Independent (SDS I) agencies into General Revenue, not a product of organizational efficiencies.
A more significant incongruence is that there will be 58 more FTEs counted on the state employee roster as a result of the re-classification of SDSI employees. They aren’t counted on the state rolls now but will be in the future…increasing the size of state government, not shrinking it.
IT’S PREMATURE…KILLS SUNSET REVIEWS
All the agencies being consolidated under the Callegari amendment are up for Sunset Review in 2013. Why consolidate now without the Sunset Advisory Commission’s thorough study? Not only are the agencies going through Sunset in 2013, the whole SDSI pilot/research program, started in 2001, is up for Sunset next session, too. Consolidation now is counter-intuitive AND counter-productive!
IT THREATENS EFFECTIVE REGULATION
A single board regulating multiple professions dilutes the expertise needed to oversee each. The result is less expertise. The loss of focus from this increased generalization shows up in weaker regulatory enforcement. If there isn’t a direct reduction in regulatory oversight, there’s certainly a loss of effective enforcement, which, in cases of professional practices that impact health and safety, is a major concern for architects and engineers.
IT’S A TROJAN HORSE…UPSETTING PROFESSIONAL BALANCE
A consolidated board could give engineers the right to determine the future of the practice of architecture. The two professions are different and not interchangeable. Each has distinct educational, training, and examination requirements. One can’t, and shouldn’t, speak or decide for the other.
No comments:
Post a Comment