Creating a New Government at the Speed of Hindsight

SACRAMENTO —  For a guy with “experience money can’t buy,” Gov.-elect Gray Davis does seem to be taking an awfully long time putting together a new state government.

During the campaign, he never stopped talking about being the all-time most experienced candidate for governor. So why does he now feel the need to create large committees of volunteer advisors to help him set policy goals?

Whatever happened to all the “experience that will move us forward?”

It took Davis exactly one month after the election to appoint his chief of staff--or, rather, two co-chiefs of staff, an oddity. He still does not have a budget director, even though a new budget proposal must be sent to the state printer by Christmas. In fact, he has yet to name any Cabinet official. By contrast, recent governors generally have named their official inner circles within days of the election.

And those two big blue-ribbon advisory committees--one on education, another on agriculture and water? Is this just PR shuck and jive, or is the governor-elect really over his head on these issues?

Well, enough of these cheap shots.

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Davis, for the most part, is using his 24 years of Sacramento experience--sagacity acquired as lieutenant governor, controller, legislator and, primarily, chief of staff to former Gov. Jerry Brown.

For one thing, he knows that politically none of this matters for the moment. Only the junkies are watching. Most people won’t tune in until at least Inauguration Day, Jan. 4. And some won’t start tallying up the score until Davis runs for reelection in 2002.

Those task forces are largely about PR, no question. They bring together establishment representatives of competing viewpoints--school reformers, union leaders and university heads; worried farmers, ag industrialists and environmentalists. Davis wants these VIPs to feel involved in his new administration. Presumably, they’ll hold off sniping at the rookie governor while they still believe he’s listening.

And apparently he is listening now, particularly to the panel advising him on his top priority: education. So far, this committee has proposed an ambitious summer training program for teachers who need some catching up. Davis also reportedly is hot for a suggested “teacher warranty” program; if a product of the state university system didn’t pan out in the classroom, the instructor could be recalled and repaired free.

So the task forces aren’t all just PR.

On appointments, Davis is being characteristically cautious.

“I defend him,” says Republican Steven A. Merksamer, who was former Gov. George Deukmejian’s chief of staff and now is a high-powered Sacramento lawyer-lobbyist-politico. “I think he’s approaching it about right.”

Merksamer recalls walking in with Deukmejian to chat with lame-duck Gov. Brown shortly after the 1982 election:

“Gov. Brown said, ‘I want to give you some advice. This is the best advice you will ever get. I wish someone had given me this advice. The most important two months of your administration will be before you’re inaugurated. You’ll be making the basic personnel decisions of your administration and you’ll live or die by the nature of the people you choose. And I know that so well.’

“In other words, go slow and try to do it right the first time. Because, at the end of the day, you’ll be defined by the people you choose.”

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So far so good on the few appointments Davis has made--a mix of experience, knowledge, talent and youthful energy. Nobody’s strictly a political hack.

Emphasizing his top priority, Davis’ first appointment was respected former state Sen. Gary Hart of Santa Barbara as education secretary. Hart’s a centrist, a reformer who’s not intimidated by the unions. On Monday, Davis also named Rick Simpson, a veteran Assembly education consultant, as his chief legislative lobbyist. He’s a policy wonk with a strong grasp of political reality.

Davis’ “chief aide”--and big picture strategist--will be former U.S. Rep. Lynn Schenk, 53, of San Diego, who served with him as business-transportation secretary in the Brown administration. The “staff director”--equivalent of a CEO--will be Vincent Hall, 34, a Davis speech writer and former aide of U.S. Rep. Bob Filner (D-San Diego). He’s said to be a young Davis with people skills.

The press secretary will continue to be Michael Bustamante, 37, an outgoing political operative from Los Angeles. And the appointments secretary--i.e., the facilitator of spoils--will be Dario Frommer, a young ex-party aide.

Davis is moving at a snail’s pace compared to any recent governor. But he knows from experience that’s the right speed.