Longtime Confidante Tapped as Senior Advisor
SACRAMENTO — With his fledgling government stocked mostly with strangers, Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger is turning to a trusted friend and self-described liberal Democrat to serve as a senior advisor in a role that will include beseeching Hollywood executives to keep jobs in California.
Schwarzenegger's transition team on Tuesday announced the appointment of Bonnie Reiss, 48, along with three other aides as the governor-elect moves to fill about two dozen top staff and Cabinet posts before his swearing-in Nov. 17. Schwarzenegger has made seven such hires to date.
Reiss' appointment stirred grumbling among some Indian casino interests, who pointed to her stint on the board of Pinnacle Entertainment, which owns casinos that compete with tribes for gamblers. Schwarzenegger wants to renegotiate compacts with Indian tribes so that California gets more gambling revenue.
Reiss stepped down from Pinnacle's board in the last few weeks in preparation for joining state government, said Rob Stutzman, who will serve as communications director in the new administration.
The appointments came on a day when Schwarzenegger's transition office fleshed out plans for the transfer of power:
Schwarzenegger is sending invitations to 7,500 campaign supporters, state legislators, members of Congress and dignitaries for a swearing-in 11 a.m. on Nov. 17 on the west steps of the Capitol.
That same day, Schwarzenegger plans to repeal a threefold increase in vehicle license fees approved by Gov. Gray Davis to narrow the budget gap. "Make no mistake: The increase
The governor-elect is raising $250,000 to cover the costs of what aides say will be a quiet inaugural ceremony in light of the state's strapped finances. Donations will be capped at $15,000 apiece. Names of donors are to be disclosed no more than 24 hours after the money comes in.
Davis, in contrast, raised almost $1.6 million for his first inaugural during brighter economic days in 1999, including $250,000 from a single donor, Pacific Telesis. Half a dozen other donors, including three tribes that own casinos, gave $100,000.
The California Chamber of Commerce plans a reception on inauguration day for as many as 2,000 people at the Sacramento Convention Center, paid for by a variety of donors.
Schwarzenegger will call a special legislative session beginning Nov. 18 to address the cost of workers' compensation insurance and a law signed by Davis during the recall campaign that gives illegal immigrants the right to obtain driver's licenses.
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