The LePage administration wants to create a new investigation agency with broad powers to question government officials.
This is not necessary.
The Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability has grown into an effective oversight agency. If it needs more authority, funding or staffing to do more reviews or dig deeper into government operations, lawmakers should strongly consider such investments.
This would be wiser than creating a new government entity to do what OPEGA is already doing.
The administration has proposed creating an Office of Policy and Management, which would take on some work of the State Planning Office, which is being abolished.
Jonathan Nass, a LePage aide who discussed the new office with the Appropriations Committee last week, said the governor’s vision for the new office is one that can look at issues and problems across state government and provide him with an analysis of how to address those problems. He said it would be similar to the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President.
There already are several review entities within state government, including the state auditor and the Bureau of the Budget. The Legislature also has a Government Oversight Committee.
Plus, there’s OPEGA, which has the benefit of being nonpartisan. The office, which Democrats tried to eliminate in 2008, has grown stronger as it has stepped up its investigations of state agencies.
In recent months, it has looked into the Maine Turnpike Authority and found that its former director Paul Violette had misused more than $150,000 in gift cards purchased by the MTA. It also has investigated the Maine Green Energy Alliance, health care in Maine prisons and the Office of Information Technology. It recently has begun an investigation of the Maine Housing Authority.
If the governor’s office has information on other investigations OPEGA should undertake, it should share it with lawmakers to get those reviews going. If the administration thinks OPEGA needs more power, it should make that case.
In addition to being redundant, the Office of Policy and Management would be given the power to subpoena government officials who don’t cooperate with its requests, according to the proposal.
This is redundant because the state Constitution already gives the government the power to demand information. Article V, Section 10 says: “The governor may require information from any military officer, or any officer in the executive department, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices.”
Several attorneys in the Legislature are also wary of such a change.
“That is a pretty sweeping authority,” said Sen. Roger Katz, a Republican member of the Appropriations Committee and lawyer in Augusta. “I am not sure I want to give that authority to someone without a judge being involved.”
Rep. Ken Fredette, R-Newport, who also is a lawyer and member of the Appropriations Committee, said if a subpoena request is reasonable, he does not foresee a judge rejecting a request. He said there needs to be a proper balance to protect from improper use of a powerful tool for investigation.
Watchdogs, inside and out of government, remain an important check on state agencies and officials. But, without evidence that OPEGA is failing at its job, creating another oversight agency is not necessary.
I agree. This kind of agency smacks of McCarthy’s Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
I totally disagree with your assessment. If the current agency is doing such a wonderful job why was Miane rated as #46 out of 50 states for accountability, ethics, etc. THis state has some of the most crooked legislators in the country but has such weak laws that charges won’t stick even if they’re brought.
OPEGA is totally reactive rather than being proactive. You’ll also notice that in the examples you used for OPEGA effectiveness, there wasn’t a single case of investigating a legislator who constantly abuses his/her position to pad his/her own pockets. That’s the rae that the Governor needs to look at and he can start with the very ripe Energy, Utilities, and Technology committee members.
Just what we need, more witch hunts by the governor.
I guess one liberal’s witch hunt is another conservative’s idea of transparency and quest for ethics.
If LePage is the king of transparency, why does he want such limited access to documents within the governor’s office that have been traditionally public?
That’s an easy one. By limiting access when the Oversight Committee looks into the 19,000 people whose benefits were paid even though they had lost coverage, LePage will never have to admit when he knew about it. That way he doesn’t have to admit he used inflated numbers to try and get the cuts he wanted. LePage may be a lot of things, most of them bordering on evil, but he is not stupid.
Good one. Transparency??? You mean transparency like keeping LePage’s working papers secret. Something no other Maine Governor has had or requested. Now he wants a secret police force. I suppose you also thought the KGB was a great idea as well.
KGB !!!
Wow. now there’s a surprise. A liberal drama queen who doesn’t like LePage.
You are right I don’t like LePage. I have no use for liars. I consider lying a form of dishonesty. Oh by the way it isn’t necessary to be a liberal or a drama queen to dislike LePage you just have to value truth and honesty.
When your right, you’re right !
Big surprise, someone without a real argument changes the subject and resorts to personal attacks.
Pardon me? I guess you think “4mermainer’s ” comments about “secret police force” and the KGB are appropriate comments in this debate. When someone responds in an intelligent manner, I respond in kind, but when someone responds with hyperbole and nonsense I usually also respond in kind.
Big surprise…………You seem to respond the fweagles post and comment on 4mermainer’s correct analysis…….but you don’t respond to him directly. Right by the Tea Party book huh?
Oversight here in Maine and in Washington would go a long way, as long as it was totally independent. Good luck getting an independent viewpoint anywhere nowadays.
Don’t hold your breath on the “independence” aspect.
Sounds to me like Governor LePage wants his own private pack of investigators. I don’t think any governor should have that kind of power.
He’ll abuse any power given to him just like all the GOP Governors nationwide. The new GOP…screwing America one state at a time.
Go back in previous article on this subject in BDN and read how Lepage likened it to Secret Shoppers at Mardens!
He would plant Spies as customers to spy on the people working in the store.
I ain’t just kiddin either!
Edit!
Found it! Secret Shoppers ==== { SS } http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2011/09/04/politics/lepage-to-propose-state-agency-to-measure-policy-program-performance/?ref=relatedBox
Good sleuthing Dlbrt!
….
Government oversight is vital. Wait, you want it to oversee my friends? Let’s not.
Having an agency reporting to the governor investigate other agencies that report to the governor is a fool’s errand.
OPEGA is independent of the agencies they audit. That is where this power and authority belongs.
Seems like every department has accountability issues. Maybe the governor’s cabinet level cronies ought to oversee their respective agencies like they are suppose to.
Get out the rack and the thumbscrews.
Different day, same editorial: Democrats Good; Republicans Bad.
Thanks, BDN – we get the message.
If so, it must be accurate.
Did you miss that a number of Republicans are also concerned by this proposal?
More big government proposals from LePage. He must have additional family members who need jobs.
HEADLINE: Lepage Hires Family Member to head Oversight Agency.
( A week later…)
HEADLINE: Oversight Agency Investigates Nepotism in Maine Government.
LOL
….
We do not need state government. Allwe need is the BDN to decide everything for us.
Great……….He can start with the State Treasurer’s office! and then head on over to DHHS.
Everybody remember the headlines last week about Senator Olympia Snow resigning because of
lack of civility in politics?
It seems like the real reason for Olympia resigning is her husband Jock Mckernan former Governor of Maine might be indicted for fraud .
Do you think the Guvnah’s subpoena powers would extend far enough to investigate Olympia Snowe?
If the ” I found it at Mardens Hack” was the real deal he would create a volunteer( emphasis on the word volunteer) civilian review police board with subpoena powers that would take the politics out of who , what and where gets subpoenaed. eh?
This just in from the Maine whisper stream
Is There More to Sen. Snowe’s Resignation Than Congress’s “Crumbling Center”?
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
http://truth-out.org/news/item/8160-why-olympia-snowe-really-resigned
But yet you don’t have a problem with Nobama assassinating US citizens?
Why did Baldy resist installing OPEGA for so many years? Let’s hope the Guv can continue the exercise of explaining why; as agency after agency is exposed containing corrupt liberal, union and democrat hacks
Yea but do you really think you can rely on law enforcement?
Thu, March 29, 2012
A 46-year-old woman, who police listed as a former FBI agent, has been charged with domestic violence for allegedly assaulting her partially blind father this week.
The man told police Lawson hit him in the back of his head and on the shoulder. Lawson told police she did hit her father because he was getting on her nerves.
The father, while police were investigating the matter, told his daughter, “You need help. That’s why they kicked you out of the FBI.”
The statement, reportedly sent Lawson into a frenzy, causing her to curse the man and punch him in the head in front of officers.
Lawson still threatened to do her father bodily harm as she was being led away by police.
Here’s the man who rallied thousands in support of his cries for less government. Now he wants state agencies to have the power to issue subpoenas.
His likeness to Big Brother expands with each of his orders.
Just another daily attack on our Governor.