Garamendi Greets Schwarzenegger at the DOI
By Robert Warne - October 24, 2003Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived in Sacramento this week flexing a big smile, eager to meet with key legislators and be briefed by the outgoing governor.
And it may not have been over a mint julep at the ranch, but Schwarzenegger did spend some quality time with Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi during his visit.
In a meeting at the Department of Insurance (DOI) he and Garamendi spoke about insurance related matters and reminisced about the common ties their families had.
Garamendi's wife, Patricia, served five years in Washington DC as Assistant Deputy Director of the Peace Corps. She worked there with Sargent Shriver, the father of Schwarzenegger's wife, Maria Shriver.
The Commissioner did propose holding a summit on workers' compensation to seek more expert input and urged the governor-elect to call a special legislative session to deal with the serious problems plaguing the $29 billion system.
“Businesses cannot create jobs when they are burdened with the enormous weight of this dysfunctional system,” Garamendi said. “The Governor-elect and I are in very close agreement on that, and we also have similar ideas on how to deal with the problems of workers' compensation.”
Garamendi also reviewed his recent work comp reform proposal with Schwarzenegger and briefed him on the role of the DOI as a consumer protection agency and regulator of the state's $87 billion insurance industry.
With so much on his plate, it will be interesting to see if the new Governor can hold the grin through Christmas. | 
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