STATE GRAND JURY INITIATIVE
The Northern California Coalition for Limited Government
(NCCLG) has launched efforts to try to obtain petition signatures to place a
State Grand Jury Initiative on the ballot in 2002. Ralph Morrell of NCCLG has been spearheading
this effort for years, believing that a State Grand Jury can help state
government obey rules and be accountable for behavior or misconduct.
WHY
WE NEED A STATE GRAND JURY SYSTEM IN CALIFORNIA
Based on an Article by Bill Collier
The
Northern California Coalition for Limited Government (NCCLG) has developed an
initiative to amend the
The
NCCLG State Grand Jury System was modeled after similar state grand juries
system, most notably Colorado and Oklahoma. The NCCLG state grand jury
initiative was written by Ann Klink and Bill Collier. Ralph Morrell provided
advice and support for the measure. At least 13 other states have such grand
juries. The NCCLG contends a state grand jury system is needed because the
current political system is not working for the average California citizen.
They point out that the political system only works for certain special
interests like the giant utilities companies, the oil companies, insurance
companies, the banks and other large corporations. They contend there are
numerous examples of possible government corruption or malfeasance that need a
remedy. They believe that because the state legislature, the governor, and to
some extent even the judiciary seems beholden to the special interests listed
above, investigations are rarely done, and individuals, even ones guilty of major
crimes are rarely prosecuted. They present a few examples of alleged recent
abuses of taxpayer money:
a. The current electricity crisis caused
largely by collusion between politicians, the giant Californian utility
companies and their counterparts in Texas.
b. The wholesale abuse of insurance
ratepayer’s by insurance companies disputing legitimate earthquake damage
claims and subsequent state actions that let them off the hook by creating
foundations.
c. The failure of adult education grants and
subsidies paid by taxpayer money and wasted. In spite of the millions spent on
adult education hardly anyone has been educated. A State Grand Jury
investigation would be able to ascertain whether political operatives were at
the base of the problem.
d. The fraud in the Medi-Cal system alone cost
California taxpayers at least I billion a year, ignored by politicians. A State
Grand Jury could investigate and identify those at fault.
A
state Grand Jury system could stop all of the above. It could ensure that
prosecution of high crimes is vigorously pursued and that public officials who
commit such crimes actually get punished. In addition, a state grand jury
system would immediately chill government corruption as political operatives
could imagine themselves to be subject to investigations and criminal
indictments for things that they do now without fear.
The
existing county Grand Jury system does not have the jurisdiction or power to go
after state officials who commit crimes or breaches of public trust; nor does a
county Grand Jury have the power to investigate corporate crime committed on a
state-wide basis. In addition, the Little Hoover Commission is not an effective
state Grand Jury system. That Commission has no real teeth. The state Grand
Jury system devised by the NCCLG does, and is a system that will allow
citizens, by petition, to call for investigations of the conduct of government
officials, as well as, corporations and individuals with a fiduciary duty to
the State. This state Grand Jury system would operate much like a county Grand
Jury system. However, it would have more power and more freedom to investigate
corruption and crime at the highest levels of government, and corporate crime
without the possibility of political interference in the investigation. Such
investigations will naturally lead to justice and a lot less public corruption
and corporate crime.
Admittedly,
there are costs involved in running a state Grand Jury system. However,
considering the billions in taxpayer and ratepayer dollars that are lost due to
corruption, the cost is not cost at all. Instead it is a vast cost savings. For
more information on the topic or a full text of the document go to: http://ncclg.comifiles/index.htm
* LESS GOVERNMENT *
LESS
REGULATION * MORE FREEDOM *
* LESS TAXES *
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