Posted on 01/06/2011 3:40:31 PM PST by NormsRevenge
Most of former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's 11th-hour appointments came as no surprise: Friends, allies and administration workers were rewarded – sometimes well rewarded – in a ritual that has become a tradition for outgoing governors.
But one appointment stood out. Former state Sen. Carole Migden, a liberal San Francisco Democrat, was named to the state Agricultural Labor Relations Board, the nation’s first state agency created to protect and regulate the collective bargaining rights of farm workers. The ALRB was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, then in his first term, legislation that was supported by the late United Farm Workers leader Cesar Chavez.
Migden, despite repeated efforts, declined to be interviewed for this story.
Migden’s selection came as a surprise because she had a stormy exit from the Senate and because the governor had vetoed her major bill sought by unions, the so-called “card check” legislation that would ease the unions’ ability to sign up new members. Migden, unlike many of Schwarzenegger’s well-connected appointees, has had little interaction with Schwarzenegger and is recovering from a bout of embarrassing political controversies that landed her out of office two years ago.
The move could put the former lawmaker in position for a political comeback of sorts, provided she clears Senate confirmation, which is likely. Capitol insiders say her lack of connection to Schwarzenegger wasn’t critical to her appointment, but that the driving force behind the selection was Migden’s friend Susan Kennedy, Schwarzenegger’s chief of staff and second-most powerful person in his administration.
The board meets publicly twice a month, and is composed of five members and a general counsel, all appointed by the governor. The ALRB is charged with overseeing union elections for farm laborers, and investigating complaints of unfair labor practices on farm sites. The position pays a salary of $128,109.
In its heyday, the ALRB was a focal point for Chavez and the UFW in resolving labor disputes of the 1970s. Its activities today, however, capture just a fraction of the attention that it received during the height of farm labor reform.
...
She comes well vetted. Susan Kennedy was , in fact, the real Governor of this state for the last decade.
Things that make ya go.. UNNGGH!!
Jerry Brown is looking better every day.
That about sums it up. :-(
Not far from the truth.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.