Update on Schwarzenegger's Transition Team


HEALTH ACCESS UPDATE
Thursday, October 9th, 2003

NEW GOVERNOR NAMES NEW TRANSITION TEAM
Health Policy Views Still Hazy


Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed a transtion team
and a transition Director of Finance.

The transition team contains a mix of conservative Republicans, such
as Congress member David Drier and Sen. Jim Brulte; moderate
Republicans such as former legislators Rebecca Morgan and Charlene
Zettel, and Democrats such as San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, LA
Mayor Jimmy Hahn, former Speaker Bob Hertzberg, and CTA leader John
Hein. Corporate leaders are well represented from Carly Fiorina (HP)
to Eli Broad (major developer). Former Governor Wilson and former
Republican candidates Bill Simon and Richard Riordan are included.

The transition team contains 65 members and is plainly intended to be
broadly representative of the ethnic diversity of California.  Latinos
and Asian/Pacific Islanders are well represented.  Several African
Americans other than Willie Brown are included. Democrats look to be
perhaps 15%-20% of the group. While conservative Republicans are well
represented, probably better represented than Democrats, this is
certainly not the dream team for far right. A McClintock transition
team would have been very different.

We do not know what the role of this transition team will be: a group
of this size is plainly not a working body. But it potentially creates
a broad network for recruiting department directors and other
political appointees and for shaping policy in the transition.

The 3,000 political appointees will be replaced at the time of the
official transition in a few weeks: this will include staff down to
the deputy director level in departments and in some cases below.  We
do not know who will take their places because no one knows this. We
know from our experience with the Department of Managed Health Care
what a huge difference a new team can make. We shall see what the new
Administration brings.

The new director of finance is on loan from that position in Florida
where she has served Governor Jeb Bush. In Florida, she has required
departments to map out cost and demand for services, with five-year
forecasts of need and performance goals that connect outcomes to
budget dollars. Her view of what she has accomplished and that of the
Republicans who lead the legislature seems to be at odds--she believes
the budget has been balanced without tax increases. Legislators feel
differently.

For a complete list of the transition team, go to www.latimes.com on
October 9, 2003. For a description of the new director of finance,
there is an interesting article at www.sacbee.com/weblog also for
10/9/03.

Does this mean that we will face the same budget fight that we faced
this year? Or a different and more difficult one? The budget deficit
was projected to be $8 billion or more---repealing the vehicle license
fee ups that to $12 billion. If the new administration tosses out some
of the various contrivances used to defer the pain until later, then
the magnitude of the spending gap only grows.  Cleaning house has
consequences.

In his campaign, he has stated that there will be cuts, but he will
not raise taxes, and education is not on the table. The next biggest
item in the budget, by far, is health care.

Other than that hint, we do not yet have a clear sense of
Schwarzenegger's health policy objectives. He did not answer the
Health Access questionnaire, as part of a general campaign policy to
not answer any candidate surveys, and of course has no voting record.
We will bring you further reports on his policy positions as we have
more information.

--Beth Capell & Anthony Wright for Health Access California.

Anthony E. Wright
Health Access
1127 11th St., #234, Sacramento, CA 95814
Ph: 916-442-2308, Fx: 916-497-0921
awright@health-access.org