Mr. Rybak proposes setting up an independent appointed board separate from
the voters to oversee the MCDA. This group would not be voted on, but
appointed through NRP processes or other processes related to community
groups. Folks, several hundred years ago a group of people dumped a bunch
of tea into a harbor over this issue. It is called taxation without
representation. You would have a bunch of folks who you did not vote for
making critical spending and taxing decisions for our community. At least
right now, if you don't like what your elected officials are doing, you can
vote them out of office. Imagine a world where you wouldn't have a vote.
This doesn't give more power to the community - it takes it away.
The reason that the MCDA is a separate organization is that by being a
non-profit, it is able to do things that the City cannot. This is why as
long as the City receives certain kinds of money, the MCDA will remain
separate from the City. The MCDA policy board use to be separately
appointed and it was considered a great reform to have one group (the City
Council sits as the MCDA Board of Commissioners) setting policy for both
agencies. In this way, at least the policy boards for both organizations
are the same, with the same values and directions. If you feel that the
MCDA is isolated from other parts of city government, the last thing you do
is put it under the oversight of a separate policy board.
Those who do not know the past are doomed to repeat it. For folks who want
to talk about reform, I would ask that you spend time reading the last blue
ribbon panel's report on reforms for the MCDA before putting out ideas that
would exacerbate the situation.
Carol Becker
Longfellow
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