We subject those who want to serve to extensive background checks and disclosure obligations. We give them insufficient staff support, and then load numerous process obligations on them. I recently got my Advisory Committee to break up into working groups, but got an e-mail from the legal people about agendas, minute preparation, and legal requirements for public notice, none of which bothers me, but I was told we were responsible for doing it ourselves, because they have no resources to help us.

Connecticut and other states have badly misallocated resources. They are short of skilled people available to help individuals volunteering their time to the state, but have a surplus of people in jobs like receptionists, security people, and administrative and clerical people, in other departments. Complex collective bargaining and work rules make it extremely hard to move people around to where they are needed, and it is getting harder to do so.

A well thought out and expressed piece. I enjoy reading your posts. Keep them coming. I hope you get a chance to work for the administration. God knows they need practical and thinking people in those posts.