Posted on 10/14/2004 10:57:46 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO (AP) - The state's finance director, a strong conservative voice in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration, has resigned after 11 months on the job.
Donna Arduin could leave as soon as Friday, according to the governor's office. The cabinet position will be temporarily filled by Arduin's deputy, Michael Genest, until the government finds a replacement, officials said Wednesday.
Schwarzenegger has called Arduin his resident "genius" and praised her "machine"-like work habits,
Arduin, 41, who left her imprint on the governor's initial budget, is the first major political appointee to leave the administration, and her departure could show a shift in the state's fiscal direction.
Arduin's leaves as the administration must decide whether to raise taxes or slash spending as it faces a multibillion-dollar shortfall. Some have speculated that Schwarzenegger will replace Arduin with a top aide to Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San Francisco, one of the state's most liberal legislators.
"It's broader than just a disagreement over fiscal policy. It's a realigning of Schwarzenegger's management team to more reflect his own priorities and issues," said Barbara O'Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and Media at Cal State Sacramento. "She came to do what she did, and she did it, and she left. And he may be taking a different tack in the next year - more bipartisan and issue-centered than partisan."
It was not immediately clear what Arduin will do next, though she may become a consultant on government finance matters. Officials said her departure was not a shock.
"When she first joined, she said she'd only make a one-year commitment because of family considerations, and we're grateful she was able to see us through this first budget season," said Margita Thompson, a Schwarzenegger spokeswoman. "And now we wish her all the best as she goes on to new endeavors." Among those being mentioned as Arduin's successor is Diane Cummins. In addition to working for Burton, she was a top official in the Finance Department under former Republican Gov. Pete Wilson.
Arduin worked for Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's budget office before joining Schwarzenegger's transition team last year.
Among the initial budget proposals that she presided over was a $274 million cut to programs aiding the developmentally disabled population. The plan was dropped in response to protests.
The final budget relied on billions of dollars in borrowing, and the state's financial analysts still project a shortfall of at least $6 billion next year.
Arduin's leaves as the administration must decide whether to raise taxes or slash spending as it faces a multibillion-dollar shortfall. Some have speculated that Schwarzenegger will replace Arduin with a top aide to Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San Francisco, one of the state's most liberal legislators.
Great.
Hmmm... I wonder if McClintock would have replaced his departing finance director with a BURTON staffer?
What a disappointment!! Donna Arduin was one of the selling points to conservatives that the governator was a true fiscal conservative. We won't fall for that again!!
You can count on that....................NOT!
And everyone is immediately going to make assumptions based on a vague rumor.
I recall vividly when she came aboard, it was announced that she would only stay on for a limited time.
"I recall vividly when she came aboard, it was announced that she would only stay on for a limited time."
My recollection as well.
Was it also announced that her successor would be from John Burton's office?!?!?! Sorry if I sound sarcastic, but I'm a conservative from San Francisco, and can't think of many politicians I have LESS respect for than John Burton (except possibly his late brother Philip)
Agree. Ms. Arduin was very reluctant to take on the mess that is (soon to be "was", I hope) California's budget, especially knowing that the Dem-dominated legislature would give her major grief every step of the way. We need to email her office and thank her for coing in and helping straighten out the mess that Pencil-Neck, errr, Davis and the other maroons in Sacto created.
He would if he played the game the way the Governator does. Burton used to be "The Man" in Sacto and his mob continues to hold sway there, but Arnold has made Burton look like a bit of an amateur and out-maneuvered him many, many times. Co-opting one of Burton's people into a position where he has to help solve the fiscal problems rather than stand outside and snipe would be a very shrewd move.
ping.
Arduin, who is expected to leave the critical budget job as soon as this week, has a national reputation among conservatives for cutting spending and holding the line on higher taxes. Before agreeing to the job with Schwarzenegger, she served as a top budget official of Republican governors in Michigan, New York and Florida.Although her bottom-line orientation often clashed with other members of the governor's senior staff -- especially Democrat Bonnie Reiss, Schwarzenegger senior adviser and to some degree the first lady, too -- Arduin appeared to never lose the governor's confidence.
(snip)
Arduin, 41, came to California shortly after the recall election last year initially to conduct an audit of state spending for Schwarzenegger -- a project that was never entirely completed. But after several weeks in the unofficial role, Schwarzenegger was able to persuade her to leave her post as finance chief for the state of Florida and come west.
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