Saturday was the first I'd been to the island since my parents took me hiking there as a wee toddler; I don't really remember the first time, but pictures don't lie. Regardless, Angel Island truly is an amazing place. As we pulled into the docks at the back of the island (hidden from the San Francisco shoreline), I felt as though we had suddenly become characters in William Golding's timeless novel. Luckily, though, we weren't stranded and we knew our ferry would be back before an anarchical society could erupt.

Rather than hunting boars and passing the conch around, we took in the breathtaking panoramic views of the Bay Area, and enjoyed the peace and quiet of our four-mile hike.

-Gabe

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Indeed, the only really interesting thing about Medina's appointment is how the governor -- normally an excessively cautious politician -- could possibly have thought that the former San Francisco supervisor would have done an effective job as the head of one of the world's premier transportation agencies.

Caltrans has an $8 billion budget, 20,000 employees and oversees some 15,000 miles of California highways. It is arguably the single most powerful agency of the government, a sprawling department that interacts daily with millions of Californians.

When Medina's long-awaited departure -- he resigned under pressure -- finally became official on Friday, nobody was much surprised. Medina had no transportation expertise prior to his appointment over a year ago, and his handling of major state contracts and his management style reflected that.

By itself, there may be nothing wrong with placing a politician in charge of an agency with which he -- or she -- is unfamiliar. The classic example of this is the late B.T. Collins, a flamboyant Republican who served as former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown's chief of staff, transformed the California Conservation Corps from a deeply flawed agency into a stellar national model, and handled youth corrections for Republican Gov. Pete Wilson. The reason Collins, who also served in the Assembly, could do this was because he was smart, an inspirational leader, a combat veteran who lost an arm and a leg in Vietnam, and a man with a strong sense of public service. His personality bridged partisan divisions, and governors and lawmakers recognized that.

But Medina, by all accounts a capable politician in the Byzantine world of San Francisco politics, had no such track record of demonstrated leadership. Davis knew that, but appointed him anyway, reportedly at least in part because of Medina's strong ties to San Francisco Mayor and former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown.

Nobody expects a governor's appointments to be perfect all the time. Jerry Brown once noted that a governor has hundreds of important appointments to make, and one shouldn't be surprised if a few of them have problems.

But choosing the head of Caltrans is one of the governor's most important decisions, and it deserves a lot more attention than Davis apparently gave it.

Medina's replacement is Jeff Morales, a top official of the Chicago Transit Authority, who has a strong grounding in transportation issues in general and mass transit in particular.

Morales also has experience handling difficult and hostile political leaders as he pushes for transportation reforms -- a critical skill as the governor seeks legislative support for his $5.2 billion plan to improve California's sagging transportation infrastructure.

Morales, at least, starts his job at the end of the month with a critical attribute that Medina lacked -- years of experience in transportation issues. That, more than anything else, may give him the ability to succeed at a job which ranks among the most difficult in the state.

--Janet Wilson in the Los Angeles Times, who reported that "in a nation of passions and addictions, where the line between fan and fanatic is regularly blurred by everyone from shopaholics to bingo gamblers, the political habit is one of the oddest of all. These are the folk who watch six talk shows on a Sunday morning or who actually know that there are 132 living former U.S. senators. They hoot at Al Gore's proprietary feelings for the Internet, chortle at instant replays of George W. Bush's interview gaffes and delight in the pitter-patter of pundits. With four round-the-clock cable news networks up and running, political junkies have more suppliers than ever." April 15.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/20000415/t000035427.html

--Dan Morain in the Los Angeles Times, who reported that "the question is: Are cruise ship companies that ply California waters and offer slot machines violating state Penal Code Section 330.6? The section is straightforward enough. It says shipping operators who provide one-armed bandits -- illegal everywhere in California except on Indian reservations -- in international waters must stow their slots in "a locked compartment of the vessel" when the ship is within state waters. The California Department of Justice has opened a preliminary inquiry in an attempt to figure out what to do." April 14.
http://www.latimes.com/news/state/20000414/t000035118.html

--Verne Kopytoff in the San Francisco Chronicle, who reported that "nearly two months after gas prices in the Bay Area began to surge, car owners are still complaining. But as much as drivers talk about reducing their fuel cost, they have so far avoided the most obvious solution -- consuming less gas. Bay Area public transportation agencies report increased ridership, but that is true nearly every spring. Company van pools are no busier than normal. Meanwhile, traffic on the Bay Bridge has increased. Sales of sport utility vehicles are strong. The American Automobile Association predicts a big summer travel season. And tourists are still renting about 15 gas-guzzling Winnebagos a day at Cruise America." April 14.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2000/04 /14/MN19906.DTL&type=printable

--Matthew Barrows, who reported in the Sacramento Bee that "somewhere out there, California Lottery officials say, there's a little piece of paper worth $25 million. On Jan. 15, a customer walked into a busy 7-Eleven on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, put a dollar into a SuperLotto machine at the far end of the store and walked out with a paper fortune. Who it was remains a mystery. If no one comes forward by July 13 -- the 180-day deadline for turning in winning tickets -- the jackpot will become part of a staggering $354 million in winnings that have gone unclaimed during the 15-year history of the California Lottery. April 13
http://www.sacbee.com/news/news/local01_20000413.html

It has never been clear to me why the positions of Lt. Governor, Treasurer, Secretary of State, and AG were established as separately elected officials; I've always assumed it was done to create a system of checks and balances from the days of corruption prior Hiram Johnson. However, I agree; I don't think the current method of selecting California's constitutional officers is the best way any more.

I believe the Governor and Lt. Governor should be elected together. I believe the other constitutional officers should be appointed, but I don't think they should serve "at the pleasure of the Governor." I believe they should serve fixed terms the run to the end of the then current administration and only be removable with the concurrence of the Legislature (formal Impeachment).

It does make sense to have a "team" in charge in Sacramento, but we must have some independents of review also or the corruption that once plagued California's government will soon return!

Regards,
Ronald Lowry

2000 POCKET DIRECTORY OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE ---------------------------------------------- 27th Edition of "the little red book" is now available! Current contact information on each legislator, including photos, committee assignments, Capitol and district office addresses, phone numbers and staff. Separate listings of all Senate and Assembly standing, select, special research, joint and sub committees, with members, staff, phone and room numbers. Don't be without this indispensable directory!

2000 LEGISLATIVE UPDATES VIA EMAIL ---------------------------------- Receive late-breaking changes to the Pocket Directory monthly throughout the year -- via email. To keep your directory up to date, you will be provided with any "information changes" that occur after the February publishing date. In addition to "changes," the updates will include profiles of new members, alerts to new committees and other legislative news items. Easy way to keep your directory current!

2000 U.S. CONGRESS DIRECTORY ---------------------------- Convenient 4" x 9" spiral-bound directory includes photos, key staff members and committee memberships of the 100 U.S. Senators and 435 U.S. Representatives. Separate listings of Senate and House committee and subcommittee memberships, the President's cabinet with key staff members, the State governors with addresses and phone numbers, and the Supreme Court members with phone numbers.

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1999-2000 WHO'S WHO IN THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE ------------------------------------------------- 8" x 11" loose-leaf binder of political and personal biographies of all 120 legislators, including each legislator's photo, education, career, campaign issues, legislative interests and accomplishments. Each district information page has exclusively created easy-to-read district and "locator" maps. The Who's Who makes a wonderful legislative yearbook keepsake.

1999-2000 CALIFORNIA STATE AGENCY DIRECTORY ------------------------------------------- Information on the governor's appointments! This handy 4" x 9" directory lists all agency and department-level organizations and most division and branch-level offices. Includes names and titles of state officials, with addresses, phone and fax numbers. Where a vacancy exists, the position is listed without a name. The next more complete edition will be published in the Fall of 2000.

COMING LATER THIS YEAR

Open & Public III ----------------- Open & Public II is no longer available -- it is being updated now and will be available in September 2000. For a current guide to public meetings and the Ralph Brown Act, see The Legal Notebook.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE

* The Legal Notebook * Navigating the Legislative Process * Conflict of Interest Laws for Local Government Officials * Paper Trails: A Guide to Public Records in California * California Election District Zip Code Directory * Election District Diskette * Mailing Labels on Diskette * Senate, Assembly & Congress District Wall Maps

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