Imagine a scenario where the Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission is frustrated because four different times in recent months, "his" Commission has over-ruled the recommendations of his staff, in granting approvals for fractional-ownership hotels in California’s coastal development zone. Then imagine that the Executive Director, rather than talking with the staff about adjusting their guidelines to stay in concert with the majority of the Commission, instead goes out and recruits a liberal extremist State Assemblyman to introduce legislation to have 
California ban the very type of "condominium hotels" that were being approved… Sound like the classic story of the tail wagging the dog? Well that may be, in fact, what you have with Peter Douglas, the longtime Executive Director of the Coastal Commission (pictured on the cover of City Beat magazine).
At their March 16 Coastal Commission meeting, several commissioners were questioning Douglas about the circumstances surrounding the introduction of Assembly Bill 1459 by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, whose district does not include any of the coastline, but is entirely located in the heart of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County. Douglas was asked if he had met with Levine on this bill, and while Douglas acknowledged that he had, he was somewhat vague on exactly when he had done so…
Before we talk more about this unfortunate political situation developing between the Coastal Commission and it’s top staffer, let’s look more at the legislation in question, AB 1459 — but first let’s look at it’s author. FR readers will recall that many of Lloyd Levine’s bills have been getting a lot of media attention because of their extreme content. One such example is his bill to ban incandescent light bulbs. Another would be a proposed law to literally mandate the number of debates that must take place in the race for Governor. And let us not forget his bills to reign in the epidemic of cruelty to captive elephants in zoos and to require pet owners to spay or neuter their dogs and cats! In short, Levine has carved out a reputation as being one who will introduce all kinds of extreme legislation.
Which bring us to AB 1459. The bill itself is rather short, but the subject matter is slightly complicated….
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