After his appointees led a highly-criticized push last week to remove the California Coastal Commission's executive director, the Sacramento Bee editorial board is calling on Gov. Jerry Brown to remove all four of his appointees in order to protect the integrity of the agency that oversees protection of more than 1,100 miles of coastline. The newspaper also called for speedy passage of new legislation aimed at improving the transparency of the agency's dealings with lobbyists and consultants representing development interests:

"The public may never get the whole sordid story on the California Coastal Commission’s firing last week of its executive director, but it’s not too late to insist that the powerful land-use board – and the consultants who make millions lobbying its members – be subjected to future transparency.

"The Coastal Commission, which was created shortly before the state’s 1974 Political Reform Act, isn’t explicitly included in state laws covering lobbying disclosures. Why not? That’s another mystery in what seems to be a whole stretch of murky commission waters ...

"Speaking of which, Gov. Jerry Brown, who has four appointees, should seek new commissioners. The current group may have had their concerns, but threw the public’s business into turmoil by letting the management of Lester degenerate into a political mugging. Until the governor gets the blood out of the water, public confidence won’t be restored."