Audit Shows State Lands Commission Left Lease Money on the Table

A state audit released yesterday shows that California has lost more than $8 million because of private companies that are not paying rent on state-owned land. The State Lands Commission, which is charged with collecting lease money, acknowledges the lost funds but claims that staff cuts have hampered their ability to conduct the necessary audits and appraisals of the land. We hear more from Margarita Fernandez, Chief of Public Affairs for the California State Auditor, and from Curtis Fossum, Executive Director of the California State Lands Commission.