Schwarzenegger Names 4 More to Staff (incl. an environmentalist Democrat)

[pmbryant]

From the Los Angeles Times: Nov 4 2003

Schwarzenegger Names 4 More to Staff

By Marisa Lagos
Times Staff Writer
12:54 PM PST, November 4, 2003

Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed four more people to his Sacramento staff today, including naming Bonnie Reiss — a Democrat and outspoken environmentalist — as his senior advisor.

(snip)

Schwarzenegger called Reiss' appointment, sure to turn heads in conservative circles, proof of his commitment to a diverse staff. He has been friends with Reiss — at times an entertainment lawyer, accountant, producer and writer — for "nearly a quarter of a century," the governor-elect said in a statement.

(snip)

Reiss, 48, founded the Earth Communications Office in 1988, an organization which draws on resources from the entertainment industry to create "public service campaigns that educate and inspire people around the world to take action to protect the planet," according to the group's web site. Much of the groups' work focuses on increasing awareness of these issues within the entertainment industry.

The Democrat has also worked closely with Schwarzenegger on two of his non-profits to benefit school children. She worked on U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy's 1980 presidential campaign, and, according to an article published in the California Political Review Sept. 10, "has long been an influential, highly effective leader of Hollywood's environmentalists, working with Norman Lear before forming her own organization promoting a broadly anti-market, anti-property political agenda."

That story, printed about a month before the recall, characterized the liberal Reiss as a "possible embarrassment" to Schwarzenegger as he attempted to garner GOP support.

(snip)

More: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-110403arnold_lat,1,5373939.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[maggrwaggr]

1. that's nice. Have they found those lost 900,000 votes yet?

just wondering ....

[hatrack]

2. How much is that greenwash in the win-dow . . .

The one with the huggable trees?

Just thought I'd ask.

[pmbryant]

3. No doubt...

But this is more than Bush has done, assuming this person is a genuine "outspoken environmentalist". I'm not familiar with her.

:shrug:

Then again, Arnold has to work with a Dem legislature while Bush doesn't have to bother, so perhaps that explains this.

No clue, really.

--Peter

[realFedUp]

4. Wonder if Bonnie's read his intent to further push deregulation....

Oh, I guess she's not really the energy czarist...

Wonder if she's been groped?

[Snellius]

5. He deserves credit for this appointment

Environmentalism is a devout commitment in California and, if he is sincere, this will put him on a collision course with the Bush/Cheney energy cartel. It remains to be seen if he can cater to business interests and still protect the environment, deregulation for example. Christy Todd Whitman was also supposed to be a dedicated friend of nature and look how long she lasted.

(I don't know what the significance is but I was watching the raw coverage of Schwarzenegger as he was just coming out of his "intense" meeting with Cheney at the White House last week. He looked very serious, almost as if in shock.)

[pmbryant]

6. Whitman was *not* anything close to an environmentalist

Not at all.

She was just someone who wasn't a complete and total anti-environmentalist like so many officials in the GOP are.

--Peter

[hatrack]

7. No, he deserves vigilance on this appointment

So she's a long-time environmentalist - so what?

What matters is how much say she has in policy, and how much clout she has within the Arnold administration.

What matters is what policies Schwarzeneggar adopts on energy and the environment, and given how quickly Arnold trotted out energy deregulation after the 2000-2001 debacle, I'm not optimistic.

What matters is whether California's new governor stands up to the Grand Old Policy of using timber, energy and mineral resources as a vending machine for campaign contributors.

What matters is what happens, not whom he appoints. Maybe this is grounds for some optimism, but it's just too early to say.

[pmbryant]

9. You are absolutely correct

A bit fat "?" hangs over this. We need to keep a very close eye on these guys.

--Peter

[lumpy]

8. It's going to be interesting

to see how Arnold proceeds in his new job. Might just be surprise surprise! Well, one can hope, right ?