‘Insiders’ on Boards

The citizens of San Diego and California have become sorely disappointed by the political appointees to the boards and commissions that have been established to protect the public interest in environmental quality and health. Janny Scott’s article on the California Regional Water Quality Board in San Diego (“Water Board Assailed for its Cooperative Stance on Pollution,” Sept. 27) examined one such disappointment.

Though the professional staff has presented the board with appropriate penalties to assess for infractions committed by dischargers, notably the City of San Diego for polluting Penasquitos Lagoon, the board has failed to protect the public’s interest. The value of San Diego’s environmental quality and its citizens’ health are discounted, encouraging polluters to act irresponsibly by failing to adhere to laws and regulations aimed at preserving our community’s best characteristics.

Is Norma Scheuneman representing her employer, the Building Industries Assn., or the public when she sits on the board? This is another example of how “insiders” have come to dominate public boards. The State Coastal Commission and the San Diego County Water Authority offer several other conflicts of interests. All of these appointments are made as payoffs for political allegiances rather than professional qualifications or public concerns.

This pattern of accommodating polluters is unacceptable and is the reason that citizens have insisted on the provisions of Proposition 65, the Toxics Initiative. The governor and legislative leaders who appoint people with so little enthusiasm to carry out the law are directly responsible for this crisis in public faith. The public insists on preserving environmental quality and health!

BOB HARTMAN

Lemon Grove