Schwarzenegger nominates friend of Villaraigosa to seat on California Horse Racing Board
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the nomination of one of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s closest friends and confidants, Keith Brackpool, to the California Horse Racing Board.
Brackpool, 52, is chief executive of Cadiz, a company that hopes to complete a water banking project in the Mojave Desert. Cadiz, based in Los Angeles, had tried unsuccessfully to sell the Metropolitan Water District on a $150-million water storage plan in the eastern Mojave Desert.
Villaraigosa worked as a consultant for Cadiz before he was elected mayor in 2005, and the governor's chief of staff, Susan Kennedy, also used to work for Cadiz: In 2005, while Kennedy was serving on the state Public Utilities Commission, the firm paid her $120,000 in consulting fees.
Appointments to the horse racing board are subject to Senate confirmation, and compensation for the post is limited to a $100 per diem. Brackpool is a Democrat.
-- Phil Willon at L.A. City Hall
Brackpool, 52, is chief executive of Cadiz, a company that hopes to complete a water banking project in the Mojave Desert. Cadiz, based in Los Angeles, had tried unsuccessfully to sell the Metropolitan Water District on a $150-million water storage plan in the eastern Mojave Desert.
Villaraigosa worked as a consultant for Cadiz before he was elected mayor in 2005, and the governor's chief of staff, Susan Kennedy, also used to work for Cadiz: In 2005, while Kennedy was serving on the state Public Utilities Commission, the firm paid her $120,000 in consulting fees.
Appointments to the horse racing board are subject to Senate confirmation, and compensation for the post is limited to a $100 per diem. Brackpool is a Democrat.
-- Phil Willon at L.A. City Hall
EDITOR'S PICKS:
Therein lies the problem with the CTHR industry today. Have someone like Arnold appoint someone with no real understanding of the history and problems that have arisen from the failures to recognize what was occuring in the past to bring about the situations which are now evident in the industry's demise. Clueless, the appointee's supposed to cast votes that will have a positive effect on the industry's future. Daaah! Yeah, right. Put someone in a position of power with no clue and here's what you get... Well, how the heck do I know? Let's see... I'm having this issue questioned on each side. Yet, one side is 'contributing' lots of money to have me vote this way, while the other side isn't making any contributions at all. Humm, since I have no clue whatsoever what any of this means in the first place, what will I do??? Shazzam! I think I'll cast my vote in favor of whomever contributed to anyone connected to whomever it was that annointed me. Can't go wrong there, eh? Truth is, the governator doesn't understand the industry in the least bit. And, because of that, shouldn't be the one appointing anyone expected to come up with a solution that might fix it. Just because Brackpool worked at a place that provided water, doesn't mean horses led there will drink from it. How can the CTHB and industry benefit from his expertise? What does he bring to the table? How can Arnold justify this appointment? He can't. And it's just another example of why California is in the mess it's in under his leadership.
Posted by: Tony | September 24, 2009 at 10:03 PM