What the legislators are missing, or not, is this paragraph in bills for Hampton Roads Regional Governments:
“To the extent funds are made available to the Authority to do so, to employ employees, agents, advisors, and consultants, including WITHOUT LIMITATION, attorneys, financial advisors, engineers, and technical advisors, and, the provision of any other law to the contrary notwithstanding, to determine their duties and compensation.”
Don’t give that power to a council of city and county officials and some reps from the General Assembly.
Of course, this is precisely what the politicians want.
You can take Del. Leo Waldrup’s Bridge and Tunnel Authority and strip out this paragraph. Have the Bridge and Tunnel Authority collect money and decide what big projects to do, but give the executive function to adminster, manageand oversight to VDOT and the Governor.
I spoke to a very Conservative delegate this weekend. The delegate didn’t get the idea that the authority needed to be limited. Maybe I didn’t say it clearly enough.
It looks bad. Republicans are going to create a new level of unelected, unaccountable government for Hampton Roads. They may not do in the House Finance Committee, but they will roll in the Conference because they don’t understand what they are doing, or cynically, they understand exactly what they are doing.
The voters be damned. Our votes in ’98 and ’02 (and some in 05 against Kilgore’s Regional Governments) were meaningless when they come between politicians and much more power.
