BOB MONAGAN

CHAIRMAN

ALBERT J. LIPSON
CHIEF CONSULTANT TO THE
ASSEMBLY.
445-4651

California Legislature
JAN I 5 97)
Assembly General Research Committee

ROOM 436. STATE CAPITOL

January 5, 1971

Professor Joshua Lederberg
Department of Genetics
School of Medicine
Stanford University
Stanford, California 94305

Dear Joshua:

The enclosed is the material you requested on the
Commission on Manpower, Automation and Technology.

I was interested to learn that you have joined the
Board of Trustees of the Natural Resources Defense Council,
Inc.. I very much agree that there is need for much greater
legislative effort to define standards in the environmental
field. I think the statutory approach is much sounder than
having the courts make decisions on a qase by case basis in
those areas where the legislative body has failed to act.

I am impressed with the need for a new cost account-
ing as a basis for assessing the true environmental impact
of proposed public and private actions.

Now that we have ASTAC organized, I hope we can keep
it moving during this period of legislative transition. I
view it as the beginning of an effort to institutionalize a
system for involving academic and other experts in the policy
problems of state government.

Best wishes for the New Year.

Sincerely,

Albert J. Lipson
Chief Consultant
to the Assembly

AJL:lhs
Enclosure