|
tions to the Board of Public Works is the
failure on the part of the legislature to
act and to create agencies of government
which will suit modern tools of manage-
ment, a reason why today we still have
the Board of Public Works deciding state
property transactions, from fountain pens
to road construction programs and for dis-
posal of lands which were purchased and
never used by the State. This is because we
have not established a property disposal
agency within the state where under proper
rules and regulations, in full view of the
public, land and other property of the
State might be disposed of.
We have refused to establish modern
tools on bonds of the State; we have a
Triple-A rating but we have a Board of
Public Works which has to decide whether
we go ahead and purchase bonds of the type
at certain interest rates. Should this not be
in the hands of a fiscal adviser?
We could go on, but time is limited. The
Board of Public Works has in reality be-
come a super-legislature, an in-between
arm where it can act quite contrary to the
will of the legislature to change appropria-
tions. There are examples upon examples
as we go back over the last hundred years
where the legislature ruled one way and
the Board of Public Works acted in a com-
pletely different manner until such time as
the legislature reconvened.
We heard much about the visibility that
the Board of Public Works gives to us. On
the contrary, the Board has held quite ir-
regular meetings without a set pattern and
schedule. Many of the meetings have been
secretive in nature and some of them have
been hastily called and unannounced to the
public as was the case in 1964 when the
state property tax was raised from 15 to
17 cents per hundred. Until 1£59 the ex-
ecutive secretary of the board has been un-
der the control of the comptroller, not
under the chief executive and when we talk
about his ability, let us take a look at the
record as has been reflected over the years
from 1966 to 1967. The minutes of the
Board of Public Works were provided to
the public seven months after the meeting
of the board, March 9, 1959. The minutes
of the April 15, 1959, meeting were avail-
able five months and ten days later. The
first meeting of the fiscal year 1963 was
held in July and the minutes were published
December 24. We could go back through
the pages in the annals of our State and
find continually documented evidence that
indeed the Board of Public Works has been
performing a public service.
|
It has been a hindrance to Maryland mov-
ing into the twentieth century.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Dorsey.
DELEGATE DORSEY: Mr. Chairman,
how much time does the minority have re-
maining?
THE CHAIRMAN: I think you have
twelve minutes or so.
DELEGATE DORSEY: I would like to
yield that.
THE CHAIRMAN: You have twelve min-
utes.
DELEGATE DORSEY: I would like to
yield the remaining 13 minutes to Delegate
Sherbow.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Sherbow.
DELEGATE SHERBOW: Mr. Chairman,
will you advise me when ten minutes have
elapsed ?
THE CHAIRMAN: I will.
DELEGATE SHERBOW: May I ask the
Chair a question ?
THE CHAIRMAN: Proceed.
DELEGATE SHERBOW: The Majority
recommends that the Board of Public Works
not be provided for in the constitution. I
assume that a vote yes is a vote that it
shall not be provided and a vote no is that
it shall be provided, is that correct?
THE CHAIRMAN: That is correct. But
before you proceed, let me make an in-
quiry of Delegate Dorsey.
The Journal Clerk has handed me a memo
which he has received from you indicating
that you desire to offer an amendment to
Committee Report EB-1 by striking the
word "not" on page 1, line 14.
If you desire to offer that amendment
the Chair will permit you to offer it now
and continue the debate or it will permit
you to offer it at the end of the controlled
period.
DELEGATE DORSEY: I prefer to offer
it at the end of the controlled period.
THE CHAIRMAN: The Chair will rule
that it does not interfere with the debate
schedule and we will proceed with that un-
derstanding.
Delegate Sherbow.
DELEGATE SHERBOW: Mr. Chairman
and members of the Convention: I think it
is very important that we understand the
issue that is now before us.
|
