Large Corporations still controlling Schwarzenegger’s foreign trade agenda

The San Francisco Chronicle has written still another expose of Governor Schwarzenegger’s use of business associations and large Corporations to fund his foreign trade missions:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s foreign trade missions are paid for by the California State Protocol Foundation. Though neither the governor’s office nor the foundation will disclose the group’s funding sources, tax records filed by other nonprofits doing business with the foundation show that it received $75,000 from agribusiness interests and banking. The foundation is led by two of the state’s most influential business groups — California Chamber of Commerce and the California Roundtable.

The Chronicle quoted Aaron McLear, Schwarzenegger’s spokesman, as saying the governor accepts the gift from the foundation because both share a “passion” for creating jobs in California. He said Schwarzenegger is not influenced by those that pay for the trips and makes his decisions based on what is best for the state.

This is extremely difficult to swallow. There is a huge difference between being “pro-business” and being “pro-Corporation” and to-date the Schwarzenegger administration has not shown the slightest interest in small business concerns. The non-profit organizations he uses to fund his trade missions- including the California Protocol Foundation, The California Chamber of Commerce, The California Roundtable, the California Commission on Jobs and Economic Growth and others are primarily interested in supporting their large Corporate clients, for the simple “Willie Sutton” reason: “that’s where the money is”.

Together, these groups form a private network of Schwarzenegger supporters that have no real interest in diluting their influence with the Government with annoying small business concerns. Since the Governor has essentially used these “non-profit” groups as proxy economic development agencies they have the power, but not the responsibility that comes from being part of government. On the important issue of economic development and international trade promotion, the door is simply not open to the rest of us.

This won’t be the first time that one of California’s big newspapers has done an investigative report on this issue, but we are nearly three and a half years into the Schwarzenegger administration and nothing ever seems to change. Governor Schwarzenegger, who just two years ago said: “I want your ideas, and the more radical the better” now seems to only be interested in input from a few closed groups of his own associates. Since the Governor has not made economic development part of his Government “for all the people” pledge it may be time for the State Legislature to step in and make sure that all California citizens interested in this issue are fairly represented.