Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Open Board of Directors
San Bernardino Community College District
114 S. Del Rosa Drive San Bernardino, CA 92408
Minutes
Present: Pete Aguilar, Dimitrios Alexiou, Peter Barmack, Carole Beswick, Tom Brickley, Erin Brinker, Ann Bryan, Ken Coate, Bill Easley, Ray Gonzales, Dick Hart, Mark Kaenel, Bill Lemann, Neil Macready, John Mirau, Lou Monville, Charlie Ng, John Prentice, Ty Schuiling, Larry Sharp, Paul Shimoff, Shelli Stockton, Steve von Rajcs, Phil Waller and A.J. Wilson.
Guests: Robbie Broedow, Jim Morris and Vicky Ostermann
Announcements: 1) The Washington, D.C. trip reservation forms have been distributed. Please respond as soon as possible for favorable airfare rates. 2) Members are asked to convene briefly immediately following the presentation. 3) The Strategic Planning session on Saturday, January 9, 2012 was very energizing with many members participating.
M/S/P: Minutes of the December 20, 2011 meeting
Ken Coate introduced Brenda Bell, Inland Empire Regional Coordinator, California Forward.
Ms Bell explained that the goals of California Forward: to reform state government so it’s more responsive, accountable, and closer to the people it serves. They hope to get continued support for their proposed state constitutional amendment-Government Performance Accountability Act (GPAA).
California Forward is a non-partisan, nonprofit created in 2008 by the following five major California foundations:
- The California Endowment
- The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund
- The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
- The James Irvine Foundation
- The David and Lucille Packard Foundation
The California public and voters have expressed frustration in their government citing the following:
- Current institutions aren’t working
- Lack of accountability and/or transparency
- No trust in leaders
- Voice of the voter not heard
- Loss of confidence in government
- 80% of Californians say government dysfunction affects their daily life.
- Californians don’t know what they’re getting for tax dollars
- Public believes 39 cents of every dollar is wasted
Californians have expressed that they want accountable leaders, more government transparency and a government that works.
In answer to this California Forward is supporting a state constitutional amendment, The Government Performance & Accountability Act. Its intent is to:
- Create a stable state budget process
- Make local governments more accountable
- Authorizes local governments & agencies to work together
The stable state budget process will fundamentally change how decisions are made with the following:
- Plan ahead with two-year budgeting
- Goals & objectives to focus on performance
- Oversight to ensure programs are working
- Pay-as-you-go to provide stability
- 72-hours in print to increase transparency
Local Government Accountability will restore public confidence:
- Include community in goal-setting
- Define goals
- Measure & publicly report on progress
Encourage Cooperation:
- Give local governments more control and flexibility
- Allows them to best respond to community
- Work together – not at odds – to address community issues
- Collaboration leads to success
By providing a stable and results-oriented budget process, encouraging partnerships between local and community leaders and collaboration among regional groups and holding elected officials accountable for the success or failure of public programs, GPAA gives us open and participative government at every level. It is, in fact, the foundation upon which our democratic government was formed. Californians have made it clear that they want to fix the system before they bankroll it anymore. The GPAA is essential to keeping leaders responsible and bringing long-term change to a process that no longer works.
A Q & A period followed.
Meeting adjourned at 8:20 a.m.