Comment by johnnyanmac
4 hours ago
independent from the government, yes. Because government has its own perverse incentives that need to be checked (like redistricting).
4 hours ago
independent from the government, yes. Because government has its own perverse incentives that need to be checked (like redistricting).
So, who pays their salaries?
Same ways that other non-elected government staff is paid. Such funding tends to be mandated into the a law or constitution alongside the establishment itsrlf. That's the case for California's IDC.
If you're suggesting a rogue government with the ability to deprive such independent organizations of funding as a means of control, you're not wrong. If the government and people united have enough of a majority (or enough lack of accountability), laws are as valuable as the paper it's printed on. Leaving the latter aside, it's also just models from the federal constitution that (nearly?) all state constitutions tend to be living documents. Nothing is truly set in stone and most mechanisms tend to have overridde mechanics with a majority or supermajority.