Consumer Watchdog – Stem cell agency could learn from Controller's office

David Jensen, has been beating up on the California stem cell agency on his blog, The California Stem Cell Report, for it's inability to make documents available in a timely way before public meetings.  The agency deserves it.  

If California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) wants a model for how things should work, all that's needed is a check on the State Controller's website.

Proposition 71 also created the Citizens Financial Accountability Oversight Committee. Chaired by Controller John Chiang, the six-member committee reviews the financial practices and performance of CIRM.

The board's next meeting is at 1 p.m., July 7, in San Diego.  Since last week the agenda, with all relevant documents, has been available on the controller's website.

That's how good, open government works.

Today, a mere two days ahead of this Thursday and Friday's meeting of the Independent Citizens Committee (ICOC), documents were being posted to CIRM's website. At 4 p.m Tuesday, at least ten agenda items that reasonably would require a written explanation lacked documents.

I don't see how members of the ICOC can fulfill their oversight responsibilities without ample time to study the issues  they will be acting on. Certainly  it makes it difficult for the public to offer any well reasoned comment.