Gov.'s state board choices raise charges of cronyism
SACRAMENTO — A string of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's appointees to state boards are facing complaints that they are unqualified, beholden to the industries they oversee or otherwise mired in conflicts of interest.
Schwarzenegger has installed longtime friends and political associates on several boards, giving rise to criticism that he is practicing cronyism while failing to adequately vet people who oversee billions of dollars' worth of economic activity and other public matters.
Last month, Schwarzenegger appointed his dentist to the state dental board. His former chiropractor now chairs the chiropractic panel.
Watchdog groups say the governor misunderstands the boards' purpose, which is to safeguard the public.
The chiropractic panel's primary role is to protect Californians from incompetence or fraud, according to its mission statement.
But when Schwarzenegger was asked recently about turmoil on the board, he said, "What is important to us is: Does the chiropractic board represent the chiropractors?"
Julianne D'Angelo Fellmeth, director of the Center for Public Interest Law at the University of San Diego law school, was taken aback. "If he really believes that, that is extremely troubling," she said.
Political patronage is not uncommon; elected officials often use their appointment powers to reward trusted friends. It is unclear how many such appointments Schwarzenegger has made, but he came into office on promises to change how state business was done, and had proposed abolishing 88 state panels that still exist.
The governor's office says all appointees are carefully screened. Criminal histories, civil suits, driving records and relevant news stories are thoroughly reviewed before appointments are made, a Schwarzenegger spokesman said.
"The governor has appointed more than 3,000 people to agencies, boards and commissions since taking office," said Aaron McLear, Schwarzenegger's press secretary. "We try to identify the most talented people willing to serve, and to recruit candidates from both inside and outside government."
On the state chiropractic panel, friends of the governor face complaints that they're protecting the profession at the public's expense.
Board Secretary Franco Columbu, a chiropractor, was best man at the governor's wedding. Chairman Richard H. Tyler, the governor's former chiropractor, is another longtime associate; he greeted Schwarzenegger at the airport when the bodybuilder arrived in the U.S. in 1968. As chairman, Tyler plays a major role in setting the board's agenda.
