What do you plan on doing with your free time?
I look at it as a sabbatical. Time to step back and look at where I've been, what I've done, and I intend to keep active on something related to government. … I won't be working as a public servant for the state of California. I've put in a lot of years; I have perspectives that I've developed, that I feel comfortable with, and there's certain changes and reforms I'd like to see considered, whether it would be with the Legislature, how state agencies are run. So, I'll do some writing, I'll talk to people to see if some of what I've learned can get passed on in the institution of government.
Could you give a brief overview of you career?
I have a degree in journalism from Rutgers--go Rutgers they beat Louisville last night--and went to work as a newspaper reporter. Then I got drafted into the military in 1969; that was not on my agenda. I spent two years in the military, did not get killed, and, when I got out, [I] went back to work for the newspaper. … In '79, I went to work for the state, the California Conservation Corps. … I worked for a state agency, and from there I was able to work as a kind of a mid-level, low-level civil servant, and I became a gubernatorial appointee. Then I went to work in the governor's office and then went to work for the legislator for about 23 years.
What have you learned over the course of your career?
I've had the great benefit of working with incredibly disciplined, talented people: Jerry Brown, B.T. Collins, Jackie Speier, Gray Davis, Willie Brown--people know these people. I was just fortunate to be in the top position in working with those people. From [there] I learned things such as the importance of loyalty, honesty, focus, documentation, and standing up for what you believe in. … I learned from some of the best.
Looking back, what are you most proud of?
I suppose there wasn't a period where I pushed myself away from the desk and said, "Ah, great, I'll coast." It's just a nonstop, lot of just great things happening. … I was there when it [California Conservation Corps] became a permanent state agency. … [It] proved that young people who work hard have great value to the state. … I've done a great amount of oversight with the help of, obviously, the leadership of Sen. Speier, or Assemblywoman Speier. We identified huge amounts of waste, hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars returned to consumers. We did a lot, a great deal for consumers. … I don't rank the bills; to me they were all important and I'm glad they got done and, for the most part, appear to be helping people.
Which do you prefer: state or local government?
As a reporter I found that covering town-meeting, local-government ordinance hearings about whether an apartment building should be 5 or 6 feet from a certain boundary kind of boring. I like dealing with prisons. … [I have] a special interest in the mentally ill who are in our prison system. There ought to be a better way of dealing with some of them, not all of them. There's like zero hope of rehabilitation--that's an age-old problem."
How has California changed since you began working in politics and journalism?
Well, to me, obviously term-limits has altered the landscape. We see new faces of elected legislators as opposed to the same old people--that's both good and bad. I think it's eroded the power of the legislator and given more to the governor over the years. … I remember--this was really traumatic for me--I had this electric typewriter when I first went to work for the assembly in 1983. I think a year later we had a fax machine, some kind of tube thing; it was really slow.
We're having a bone marrow drive in the capitol on December 7 in room 112 from 8 to 4. We have a state worker, … she's got leukemia, and she needs a bone-marrow transplant. We would like to get as many people as possible to come to the Capitol for that reason.
For more information on the bone marrow drive, or to set up an appointment call BloodSource: (916) 456-1500, toll-free (866) 82-BLOOD.