Congresswoman Jackie Speier has asked a prestigious panel of business, labor, community and government leaders to review all requests for funding received by her office for fiscal year 2010.  The Citizens Oversight Panel will meet this month in public forums to review applications and hear from applicants before making recommendations to the congresswoman.

Long a critic of the federal earmarking process, Speier has not requested any special funding in her ten months in office, instead choosing to study ways to “take the politics out of the appropriations process.” 

Chairing the panel is Stanford Law Professor Lawrence Lessig.  He is joined by Peter Altman, CEO of BioCardia, Inc; Harold Brooks, Director of the American Red Cross of the Bay Area; Ed Everett, Retired City Manager of Redwood City; Don Griffin, Chancellor of City College of San Francisco; Rod Hsiao, San Mateo County Board of Education; Rose Guilbault, Vice President of AAA of Northern California; Mark Laret, CEO of UCSF Medical Center; Justice Harry Low, retired California Appeals Court Judge and former California Insurance Commissioner; Gene Mullin, former state assemblyman; Bill Nack, Business Manager of the San Mateo Building Trades Council; Louise Renne, former San Francisco Supervisor and City Attorney; Marland Townsend, former Foster City Councilmember; and Jim Wunderman, President and Chairman Emeritus of the Bay Area Council.

“I have called on some of the best and brightest to help me bring full accountability and transparency to this process,” Speier said.  “For too long, politicians have used earmarks to reward campaign donors, friends and family members.  I have no desire to participate in that practice, but at the same time, residents of the 12th congressional district pay a lot of money in taxes and there are vital worthwhile projects here that deserve to be funded.  This panel opens up this often secretive process to the light of day for my constituents, the press and the whole world to examine.”

Professor Lessig, founder of an organization called Change Congress and a vocal critic of earmarks, was Speier’s first choice for Chairman.  “Larry Lessig’s bona fides on this issue are beyond reproach,” she said.  “The only way to guarantee that this panel was above politics was to ask strong-willed, reform minded community leaders who would not be easily influenced by me or anyone else.  I found that in Larry and the entire panel.” 
“Regaining America's trust about how our government spends its money is a crucially important problem, especially now,” Panel Chairman Lessig said.  “Congresswoman Speier is setting an important example for the Nation, and I am honored to help her however I can to make this experiment a success.”

INFORMATION POSTED ON WEBSITE
Applications, letters of support and other documents submitted by applicants can be viewed on the Congresswoman’s official website:  www.speier.house.gov
Currently, applications for the panel’s first meeting on March 13 are posted.  The rest will follow shortly.

MEETINGS SCHEDULED

Friday, March 13 - 2:00 - 6:00 pm
City College of San Francisco
Community Health and Wellness Center, Room 103 
50 Phelan Avenue
San Francisco 
(Parking is available in C-Lot - Enter from Ocean Avenue)
 
Friday, March 20 - 1:00 - 6:00 pm
San Mateo City Council Chambers
330 West 20th Avenue
San Mateo

Wednesday, March 25 - 9:00am - 2:00pm
Daly City Council Chambers
333 90th Street
Daly City

(Earmarks refer to special funding requests inserted into spending bills by individual representatives and senators, often with little or no public scrutiny.  Perhaps the most famous was the $398 million earmark for Alaska's "bridge to nowhere" in 2005.  Critics call the practice “pork-barrel spending” but defenders point to the necessity for worthwhile local projects to be funded and the importance of making sure each congressional district gets its fair share of federal funds.)