By Linda Adams and Peter Blackmore : eastbaytimes – excerpt
SF Bay Conservation and Development Commission works against the businesses and citizens it is supposed to serve
Bay Area residents deserve government agencies that work for them – and for the benefit of the environment that we all hold so dear. But the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission works directly against the businesses and citizens it is supposed to serve.
Created in 1965, the BCDC is supposed to regulate development to prevent haphazard bay fill, as well as protect the environment and provide greater public access. Put simply, it regulates the things that make our bayshore unlike anywhere else in the world…
The BCDC is a prime example of government run amok, using its authority in a misguided way. The numerous egregious fines and lack of transparency has even caught the attention of legislators in Sacramento.
A bipartisan effort led by Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, prompted an independent audit of the BCDC to investigate its enforcement activities, adherence to its mission, funding and operational needs and structure…
Linda Adams is former secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency. Peter Blackmore, a retired tech CEO, co-founded the San Francisco Bay Stewardship Alliance… (more)