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–Photo by Kim Wescott
RJ Latronico:
Good morning gentlemen. Let’s get started.
Both of you are from Visalia. Let’s start by talking about
your backgrounds prior to your appointments.
Mike Chrisman:
Before heading to Sacramento, I was a
region manager for Southern California Edison Company here in
the San Joaquin Valley. I sat on the California Fish and Game
Commission. From 1991 to 1996 I worked in various capacities
for the Wilson Administration, one of which was the Resources
Agency that I now lead. I also had the pleasure to work, for
five years, with Bill Jones when he was a state Assemblyman. I
come from a farm and ranching family and still live on our
farm north of Visalia.
RJ Latronico:
Do you still farm?
Mike Chrisman:
We have it leased out now. It’s cotton,
corn, walnuts and some plums.
Tom Johnson:
Prior to my appointment, I was playing with
my grandchildren and trying to reduce my handicap. I was also
consulting. But my career was in hospital administration right
here in Visalia. I did that for almost 29 years. Most people
don’t know that I spent nine years in an Army uniform, four
through ROTC at the University of Minnesota, three years in
active duty, and then two years on reserves while I was
working in Tulare. So, while most of my career has been in
health care, I did have a military background, which is a
great combination for what I’m doing now.
RJ Latronico:
Tell me a little about your military
career.
Tom Johnson:
I was stationed at the military hospital in
Okinawa during the Vietnam War. We did all the inspecting of
food and vegetables that went to Vietnam. We did the
preventive medicine, the dental care and all of the hospital
care for a number of the troops who were wounded or suffered
illnesses. So, we had a 600-bed Army hospital on Okinawa.
RJ Latronico:
So, let’s fast forward to your current
positions – Mike, what do you think it was about either your
background or experience that made you the most appropriate
candidate for your current position?
Mike Chrisman:
I think it was a lifetime of interest in
and devotion to natural resources and conservation issues that
brought me to this job. I grew up in a household where public
service was an important part of our life. I’m a
fourth-generation Tulare County resident. My grandfather and
father were both county recorders and mayors of Visalia. My
father was always telling us that public service was a
responsibility of citizenship. So we just did it. From the
time I left college and joined the family business, I was
always interested in conservation issues. I served on the
boards of the county farm bureau and the state farm bureau,
working on natural resources, wildlife and water issues. In
1996, Gov. Wilson asked me to serve on the California Fish and
Game Commission. I continued that up until the time I was
appointed as Secretary for Resources. For me, it’s been kind
of a lifetime …
RJ Latronico:
… commitment?
Mike Chrisman:
Exactly. It’s a passion.
RJ Latronico:
Tom, what about you?
Tom Johnson:
Well, my dad also influenced me heavily in
terms of public service. And, by the way, Mike’s dad was one
of the founders of our hospital district here in Visalia. My
dad was a city councilman. He was a Boy Scout leader and
scoutmaster for 20 plus years. He also developed the senior
citizen housing and the Meals on Wheels programs, receiving
many accolades. He was runner-up for senior citizen of the
year in Minnesota. He taught me that we should leave our
communities better than we found them; we should work on
behalf of others. I found myself in the Civil Air Patrol, Boy
Scouts, and of course, the U.S. Army. I have always felt that
what I was really here to do is work for others. This
appointment has been a great blessing since it brings together
my health care background, military training and my community
service commitment. Serving veterans is just so rewarding.
RJ Latronico:
Mike, tell us about your day-to-day
activities?
Mike Chrisman:
It is important to have a very clear and
deep understanding of the current issues that are complex,
controversial and tend to be adversarial. An important skill
is being able to work with diverse constituencies. I do a lot
of facilitating among groups in areas such as our ocean
resources, dealing with the Governor’s creation of the Sierra
Nevada Conservancy– 25 million acres across 22 counties in
California, the largest one in the United States!
Additionally, we are looking at the Sacramento/San Joaquin
Delta – specifically the Governor’s Delta Vision. Its purpose
is to find ways to create a sustainable Delta. There are
varying thoughts on that issue, so it is important to be a
good listener, but also to know when it’s time to lead. The
Governor expects that of us. Having been involved in the
political arena over the years, our administration is very
atypical. We are truly bipartisan. The Governor expects us to
take risks, to push the envelope, and to bring about change.
And we do!
Tom Johnson:
Well, Mike has an enormous and diverse
department. I admire him. My department is more focused. We
have three programs, roughly. Health care is our number one.
We operate Veterans Homes, three of them, and take care of
1,600 veterans. And now we are building five more homes. We
run the Cal Vet loan program, which is a very large home loan
program that has helped over 420,000 veterans in California
purchase a home or farm. In fact, my first home in Tulare was
purchased with a Cal Vet loan. The third thing is that we help
veterans with their pension and education benefits. I think
communication is the biggest thing that I try to work on –
making sure that we work for all of our veterans – 2.2 million
in California. We have a 170,000 active duty military people
in California, and we work closely with them as well. It’s
getting out there and finding out what their needs are, where
the gaps and services are and letting them know what we are
doing. The Governor is an action and accountability governor.
He likes to see us out there. I am a risk taker, and that fits
well with the Governor’s philosophy. Of course, that allows me
to get my ears boxed once in a while because sometimes I don’t
fully understand the process. There is a learning curve that
is taking more time than I thought – in figuring out the
contracting, civil service and political systems. The Governor
is very supportive of doing things better, taking on new
ideas, working across the lines, and then being accountable
for the results.
RJ Latronico:
How does the work you do directly impact
the citizens of the Central Valley?
Mike Chrisman:
The Department of Water Resources is an
organization that operates the state water project, delivering
4 million-acre feet of water from south of the Delta to San
Diego. Additionally, they have flood control and levee
protection responsibilities. For our state Parks Department,
the central theme is the issue of the Central Valley’s
under-served areas in the state park system. Our department
conducted a study as to what the people in the Valley want,
and they want state parks associated with waterways. Next on
the list is the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
CDF’s primary responsibility is fire protection on State
Responsibility Lands. We also have the Department of
Conservation, which deals with mining and geology, recycling
and farmland preservation. Next is the California Energy
Commission, whose primary responsibilities are siting
generation plants and setting appliance efficiency standards.
I haven’t mentioned all the departments in the agency, but
overall our job is to maintain California’s natural, cultural
and historic resources. I am able to do this by having an
outstanding team of committed professionals.
RJ Latronico:
Tom, it seems that Mike wears a number of
hats in his position. Is this the same for you?
Tom Johnson:
I only need one or two hat racks compared
to his, maybe, 16, or more! The Central Valley is one of the
biggest growth areas in California. That is one of the reasons
why we are going to put a new veterans home in Fresno. And one
of the new veterans centers is going into Modesto. So, there
is wide recognition that this is a growing area. We are
working very closely with the folks in Fresno and up and down
the Valley to address our veterans’ needs. The Valley is where
Mike and I are from. I’ve become friends with a number of
wonderful and dedicated public servants in Sacramento. One of
them is the head of Cal Trans. That’s helpful when there’s a
problem. And when we’ve had some issues come up with our
veterans, Mike’s agency was able to assist our agency.
Mike Chrisman:
What Tom is referring to is the San
Joaquin Valley Partnership. We are a part of that effort. The
Valley partnership stresses health care, education, serving
the under-served, and a variety of natural resource issues –
all with the focus on the San Joaquin Valley.
RJ Latronico:
Okay. What about hurdles? What are the
biggest hurdles to overcome in managing your department, your
agency?
Mike Chrisman:
The shear size of California and its
population creates a natural hurdle – 37 million people and
growing. If you look at the area from Bakersfield to Redding,
there are about 6 1/2 million people. California is estimated
to be at 5 million by 2025. Those same projections show that
the San Joaquin Valley will reach 12 to 14 million by then.
So, our challenge will be in managing our resources and the
increase in demand on that resource base while recognizing
that our climate is changing through global warming.
Tom Johnson:
Hurdles … the budget process, to me, has
been enormously intriguing and, at times, frustrating. There
are so many competing resources. The state’s economic engine
is business and agriculture. It is these things that create
new wealth. We have these short-term issues that are difficult
enough to overcome, let alone the long-term issues. We have
just completed a strategic plan. The Governor is in a very
unique position. He may be one of the few people who can
really bring all of the parties together and make this growth
plan work to make sure that the state is ready for our next
generation of citizens. It’s daunting.
RJ Latronico:
How is the Governor involved in your
agency activities? Do you report to him on a regular
basis?
Mike Chrisman:
He is very active with our agency. During
the recall election in 2003, he presented an environmental and
natural resource platform with very specific issues he wanted
to accomplish. He was upfront about his desire to develop
alternative transportation fuels for California. He stressed
solar and geo-thermal resources and supported the creation of
the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. With his leadership, we are
actually getting things done. All the work that we’ve done on
shoring up the levees – he has been involved. Ocean protection
is another area of interest for this Governor. We have created
a national model in that area through our Ocean Action Plan
and the Ocean Protection Council.
Tom Johnson:
Just as the Governor has a deep commitment
and love for the environment, he is committed to our veterans.
Yesterday, I was with him as he presented a POW medal to a
gentleman in Sacramento whose home was just robbed and his
diary was taken. He had been a POW for three years under the
Japanese in the Philippines. The Governor not only presented
him with that medal, he also added $5,000 of his own money to
a reward fund for the recovery of that diary. If it isn’t
recovered, the money will go to the POW/MIA Memorial located
in the Riverside National Cemetery.
RJ Latronico:
That’s a great gesture.
Tom Johnson:
The Governor has consistently been present
when we have had events for veterans. He understands that
everything he has achieved, as an immigrant to this country,
has been because of those willing to put on a uniform and
defend our freedoms – our way of life. He is grateful and he
expresses it in the most personal ways. This Governor is very
engaged, bright, and well informed about the issues that our
agency is facing. He is also very genuine.
Mike Chrisman:
That’s all very true. He’s just a great
guy.
RJ Latronico:
What is most rewarding about your
position? And on the opposite end, what is the most
frustrating?
Mike Chrisman:
The most rewarding is the public service
aspect of my job. I never dreamed that I would have the
opportunities I have had. California is the fifth largest
agricultural producer in the world with unmatched natural,
cultural and historic resources. For me, being a part of this
administration that wants to bring about real change is
incredibly rewarding. The biggest frustration is the slowness
of the decision making process. You just can’t get things done
as quickly as you want to get them done.
Tom Johnson:
Well, I have got two rewards and two
frustrations. The first reward is that I’ve really enjoyed
meeting veterans of all wars and of all ethnic backgrounds. I
have had the chance to sit down and talk to them – the pilots
who were shot down over Germany, the POWs, the Vietnam and
Korean veterans. There’s so much history. It has also been
rewarding to bring a little stability to my department. We had
six secretaries in seven years before I came. In 2003, Dan
Walters wrote a column in The Sacramento Bee saying that the
Department of Veteran Affairs was the worst run department in
the state. He hasn’t written a column since then, which I am
grateful for.
RJ Latronico:
Well, now I will publish a story about you
and your department that sheds a different light. One that, I
hope, will make your staff proud.
Tom Johnson:
Thank you. It is an important department.
I’ve developed a great team. I have a fabulous Undersecretary,
a Homes Secretary and support staff there. It’s just been very
rewarding. Regarding frustrations, I would agree with Mike.
The slowness in the decision making is like quicksand
sometimes. Some things are not logically based, which is
something that doesn’t happen in private industry, most of the
time. For instance, I’m now trying to simply repair a shower
in one of our veteran’s homes. The repair is in its 17th
month. If I were doing this job in my home, it would have been
done in 17 hours!
The Governor has established the
California Performance Committee, which is trying to find ways
in which we could better serve the public, including ways in
which dollars could be saved.
I’m also frustrated that I
don’t get to spend more time playing golf with my buddy Dick
Watson or spending more time with my grandkids.
Chrisman
told me, when he pushed my name forward, that this was a
four-day a week job. It’s turned out to be a six-day a week
job. (Laughter)
Mike Chrisman:
For the most part, my workdays are 14 to
15 hours. I can only do this because I have the support of my
wife, Barbara, my daughter, Jessica, her husband, Chris, and 3
sons and my son, Josh, his wife, Julie and their son and
daughter.
RJ Latronico:
Tom, is the federal government doing
enough to ensure benefits to the veterans?
Tom Johnson:
That’s a very good question. I find often
that people don’t understand the difference between the
Federal VA and the State VA. The Federal VA is the second
largest agency in the federal government. It has over 225,000
people bringing in about 6.6 billion dollars. They have 10
medical centers and number of veterans centers and outpatient
clinics. They are really the primary service arm to health
care needs and benefits to veterans. They also run a number of
federal cemeteries. And, they provide the dollars when we
build state cemeteries. We work very closely with them, so, is
the federal government adequately funding their agency? Well,
last year they found out that they were not, and they really
ran into some problems. You know, I found out early in my
career that there are four very solid principles in business.
First, there’s never enough money. Then there’s never enough
time. There are never enough people and usually, there’s never
enough parking. But the federal government, since 2001, has
increased the VA budget by 77 percent. Is that enough? There
are those who still question the amount of dollars going into
mental health services, for example. They don’t think it’s
enough, and I believe there’s some merit to that.
RJ Latronico:
Mike, there is a lot going on with respect
to California water issues. How unique are these issues
compared, let’s say, to 20 years ago and what are your biggest
concerns?
Mike Chrisman:
That’s also a very good
question. The Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta is the largest
estuary on the west coast. A hundred years ago, the levees
were constructed. People began to farm the land. A significant
agricultural industry developed on those peat soils. Most of
those soils have oxidized and dropped 20, 30 or 40 feet in
elevation. We now have 23 million people in California who
depend on their water from the Delta. We have significant
infrastructure across the Delta – highways, electric
transmission lines, natural gas lines, gasoline transmission
lines, and growth of communities in the area. There is a
general consensus that the Delta isn’t sustainable. We have
had many debates over the last 20 to 30 years about this area.
In the early 1980s, there was a whole debate about a Delta
conveyance facility. It was called the Peripheral Canal. In
the 1990s, there was recognition that long-term problems were
not being addressed. The CALFED program was developed, and by
2000, an entire series of goals and objectives were prepared.
It provided for projects to enhance the upper reaches of the
watersheds. But we weren’t looking at the entire issue of
Delta sustainability. Recently, the Governor appointed a Delta
Vision Blue Ribbon Task force that will help develop a
long-term vision and strategic plan for the Delta to be
completed within the next 18 months. The dialogue will be very
contentious. Get ready.
RJ Latronico:
I love that area. I’m always up there
fishing and boating. Tom, how well are California’s veterans
living today?
Tom Johnson:
As I said earlier, there are 2.2 million
veterans in California. We don’t have relationships with all
of them because some of them, like me, have no need to access
the state veterans agency. But for those who do need services,
we are trying to reach out to them. We are making a great
effort to ensure that veterans who are eligible and deserve
certain benefits and pensions and compensation are receiving
them. Veteran benefits are available to the disabled. There
are educational opportunities, fish and game licenses, tax
breaks, and then we have our veteran homes. A number of
agencies in California provide services to the homeless
veterans. That’s an area that is primarily carried out by
non-profit organizations. We work closely with them to provide
grant monies for “stand downs” to help bring the veterans off
the street. That’s an old military term that basically refers
to getting the vet back and away from the frontline, to an
area where they can rest. So, we support the “stand downs” of
California. The oldest agency is in San Diego. They bring vets
in on a three- or four-day basis, and they try to tie them in
with permanent services. If it’s rehab they need or job
training or health care, we will be there to help. We will
even bring in people to give them haircuts. I think, overall,
vets are being very well served in California. They have a
great array of benefits, and it’s constantly being looked at
and improved. We have a great relationship with the federal
government. They put a lot of effort into California’s health
facilities.
On the county level, each county has a veterans
service officer. When a veteran has an issue that needs
looking into, these county veterans service officers can help
them access a whole array of state and federal services. They
are county employees, and we provide about 17 per cent of the
funding.
RJ Latronico:
How does each of you perceive the current
Washington climate, as it pertains to your area of work?
Mike Chrisman:
We work with two departments at the
federal level: One, the Department of Interior headed by Dirk
Kempthorne, a former governor and U.S. Senator from Idaho, in
the areas of parks, water, minerals and wildlife issues and
two, the Department of Agriculture headed by Secretary Mike
Johanns, former Nebraska governor and Undersecretary Mark Rey,
who has responsibility of the U.S. Forest Service.
Tom Johnson:
As Mike mentioned, the Governor’s office in
Washington has a great team. They do a fantastic job of
“greasing the skids,” so to speak, and getting the issues in
front of the right people. Last month we held a meeting with
the folks of the Ways and Means Committee, now under
Congressman Rangel. Congressman Filner, chair of the Veterans
Committee, who is a Californian, and I have had some very good
meetings. Our local Congressman, Devin Nunes, has also been
very receptive. Congressmen Costa and Radanovich have both
been there for us.
But then there is the other side of the
coin. While we have a great relationship with Secretary
Nicholson, the federal Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the
layer underneath him is “risk averse” to most everything. It
is just incredible how long it takes to reach agreements. So,
I’m a little frustrated with those people, but my nature is
action, as is the Governor’s. At the end of the day, we are
trying to make things better for the constituents we serve, in
the most effective way.
Mike Chrisman:
We have a great working relationship with
the Valley congressional delegation and other members of
California congressional delegation. Senators Feinstein and
Boxer have been exceptionally supportive and helpful on our
issues.
RJ Latronico:
What do you both do in your free time?
Earlier you both spoke of your children, grandchildren and
spouses.
Mike Chrisman:
Grandkids and family – yes.
The beauty of my job is that I get out and around California,
and I see so many beautiful parts of the state. Coming home
and being at the ranch, spending time in the mountains and
just spending time with my family – that’s for me – that’s
what I like to do.
Tom Johnson:
I think it’s important to keep a balanced
life. I really want to be with my wife and family and those
grandkids. I went backpacking with the grandkids last summer
and actually went skiing with them last weekend for a day. I
golf now, mostly in tournaments, because I don’t have the time
as I once did. And I still run and try to stay in shape.
RJ Latronico:
Thank you both for taking the time to sit
down and talk with me. I am certain that our readers have
learned a lot about the important contributions you are both
making in Sacramento on behalf of the State of California.
Keep up the good work!
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