Saturday, February 14, 2015

Another angle to the Kitzhaber scandal

Here is a 2012 TED talk by Dan Carol, a prominent figure in the ongoing Kitzhaber corruption scandal.  He's worked for the state of Oregon since 2011, after he allegedly lined up consulting work for Kitzhaber's fiancee.  Two things jump out at me in this presentation.

One is the reversal of power relationships and a general contempt for workers.  Librarians, sewer workers and DMV employees are "warlords" because they take their roles and responsibilities seriously.  For them to do anything other than instantly comply with whatever is asked of them is "power hoarding."

The other is a disdain for process.  The normal public solutions to public problems,  legislation and regulation, are in his view corrupt and ineffective.  Carol seems to think handshake deals ("less process, more decisions") are preferable.

These themes come together when he considers the construction of the Hoover Dam.  After noting the project was super fast by modern standards (done in two and half years) and also super reckless (130 workers killed in the process), Carol suggests we're too safe now and too regulated.  He doesn't specify how many deaths he thinks are acceptable.

I can see some good things inspired by these ideas, such as the CCO effort.  I can also see how they might lead someone toward cronyism and corruption in a big way.

I don't think the Kitzhaber story is just about Cylvia Hayes.

No comments: