The closer the authority over a public entity is to the entity, generally the better it will be managed (the principle of subsidarity), and this argument, also fueling the recent spate of incorporations of new cities in Sacramento County and the resulting improvements in their infrastructure, business, and housing venues makes the point well.
An excerpt.
West Sac step closer to control of port
By Jim Downing -- Bee Staff WriterPublished 12:01 am PDT Tuesday, August 22, 2006
A bill to transfer authority over the Port of Sacramento to its home city of West Sacramento cleared its final hurdle in the Legislature on Monday and is headed to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk.
Local control by West Sacramento has been seen as key to the revitalization of the long-struggling port. It was also a prerequisite to a deal struck in January that gives the Port of Oakland the lead in managing the port and attracting new business.
Assembly Bill 2939, sponsored by Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, D-Davis, would put into state law a pact already approved by local governments that transfers port authority to West Sacramento from a commission with members from Yolo County, West Sacramento, and the city and county of Sacramento.
Because port governance falls under the state Harbors and Navigation Code, the change requires approval from the Legislature.
A representative for the governor said Monday that Schwarzenegger has not yet taken a position on the bill. It passed unanimously in both the Senate and the Assembly.
