Bill Leonard, one of the two Republican Members of the Board of Equalization, is well regarding
throughout California. During his time on the Board, as well as many, many years preceding that as a member of both the State Senate and State Assembly, Leonard has earned a reputation for being smart, thoughtful and articulate Republican Leader. Today in his weekly e-mail, the Leonard Letter, the Board of Equalization Member had some very strong words on the Governor’s appointment of former Gray Davis’ Deputy Chief of Staff, Susan Davis, to head up his own staff:
First, let it be said that Governors, Presidents, even Board of Equalization Members have the absolute right to pick anyone they choose to be their chief of staff. The position is so personal to the chief executive that it is NOT subject to Senate confirmation in either Sacramento or Washington, D.C. For this reason alone I hope that Susan Kennedy is successful.
Second, I hope more is said in the press about Patricia Clarey, who is leaving as Governor Schwarzenegger’s Chief of Staff. The job she did keeping this ship of state upright is tremendous and she deserves the recognition that goes with a job well done.
As to Susan Kennedy, the new Chief of Staff: she earns plaudits for her duty on the Public Utilities Commission working to keep the utilities making massive investments in California. I do like her voting record there.
But the Oracle corruption issue continues to follow her. As Governor Davis’ gatekeeper, she was in the key position to know if the Governor accepted campaign bribes for steering government contracts, or if bureaucrats under her bungled the process and she failed to catch it and stop them. Since our investigatory committee was halted by the Speaker before we got to the truth, and the Attorney General failed to follow up on any of the leads, the smell of corruption hangs over Davis and all of his top aides to this day. It is a smell that has no place in the California Capitol.
If you want to sign up for the Leonard Letter, you can sign up here.
Leonard joins a growing list of GOP officials vocally critical of this appointment. Does that matter to the Governor? I don’t know. But I am assuming from these reactions that they, like me, support the Governor, but are betwixed about this appointment.