When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger heads to Copenhagen next week for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, his office will defend the trip in a deficit-plagued year by saying his foundation-backed travel won’t cost taxpayers a dime.
But that overlooks one fact: Wherever the governor goes, a crew of California Highway Patrol officers travels as well, paid for by the state.
Expenditures for the CHP’s Protective Services Division have tripled since Schwarzenegger took office, from $14.4 million during Gray Davis’ last full fiscal year to $43.3 million last year, state records show.
While that may provide a general picture of Schwarzenegger’s impact on security costs, it is impossible for the public to tell how much is due to having a celebrity governor who travels frequently and has a famous family. Besides serving the governor, the Protective Services Division protects state courts, other state buildings and most constitutional officers.
CHP declined a Public Records Act request by The Bee to disclose specific taxpayer costs for protecting the governor and his family, citing "legitimate safety concerns." Other states provide such information, and CHP gave The Bee the data for other state elected leaders it protects.
"Different people out there can take that number and extrapolate out certain information that could potentially put someone we’re protecting at risk," said CHP spokeswoman Fran Clader. "We can’t take that risk. We have to protect against every eventuality."
Terry Francke of Californians Aware, an open records advocacy group, said CHP’s decision to withhold the governor’s protection costs was legally questionable and based on precedents that dealt with more sensitive security details than spending data. He said it appeared arbitrary that CHP released the same information for other protectees.
"There’s no way I can imagine that even the most ingenious mischief maker could look at a dollar figure and use that as a road map for harming any executive," Francke said.
Schwarzenegger’s wife, Maria Shriver, and their four children receive CHP protection, as has been long-standing state policy. He is the first governor since George Deukmejian to enter office with children younger than age 18.
Davis, Schwarzenegger’s predecessor, did not have children and did not travel at the same pace as Schwarzenegger. The former governor was out of the state for 146 days in five years, while Schwarzenegger has left California all or part of 312 days in six years, according to records compiled by The Bee and the past two lieutenant governors.
CHP does not provide details on where it staffs the governor. Besides his office at the Capitol, the governor has a home in Brentwood, maintains a suite at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento and keeps a vacation home in Sun Valley, Idaho. He also has a personal office in Santa Monica.
Both personnel and operating costs for Protective Services tripled over the past six fiscal years, according to state records. CHP spending on Schwarzenegger, who does not take a salary, and his family have faced scrutiny in recent weeks.
Governor’s travel criticized
The governor visited Iraq, Israel, Italy and Austria on a six-day trip last month. As some criticized Schwarzenegger’s travel as a costly expense, his office defended the trip by saying a private foundation run by business interests paid for him and his aides.
"The governor is interested in saving taxpayer dollars any way he can, which is why he has always paid for his own travel, food and lodging," said Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear.
Yet California paid an undisclosed sum for CHP officers to travel alongside the governor. Doug Heller of Consumer Watchdog said that if Schwarzenegger believes the state should not absorb his travel costs, the governor should also pay travel expenses for his CHP protection.
"The governor apparently recognizes the problem with a nearly insolvent state paying for his gallivanting around the world, and he has looked to outside entities to pay for that," Heller said. "He’s publicized that taxpayers aren’t on the hook for these trips. But that’s not even true because his own security detail costs thousands upon thousands for each trip."
Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, a fiscal conservative, said CHP should release the governor’s cost data. But he believes the state shouldn’t cut back security, especially in a post-Sept. 11 era. He said he thinks voters accept that increased security costs come with having elected a celebrity as governor.
"We don’t hear a lot of complaints from taxpayers that the state is spending too much on security," Coupal said. "Not that you can’t talk about it. I just think there’s a little more deference in that area. What happens if they really do skimp on security and something happens?"
In some cases, officers ride motorcycles or drive patrol cars behind dignitaries’ vehicles. In other instances, they drive state officials in state-issued town cars or SUVs.
In a video posted by Web site TMZ last month, a CHP officer assigned to Shriver appeared to flash his badge and talk a Santa Monica parking official out of issuing a ticket for an expired meter.
"After the conversation with the dignitary protection person, the traffic enforcement officer decided not to issue a citation," said Sgt. Jay Trisler of the Santa Monica Police Department.
Heller wondered whether beneficiaries of CHP protection see officers more as a perk of convenience.
"You get the feeling that it may have become a private chauffeur service," he said. "Politicians have a knack for getting used to the perks of government. If you look at the numbers, they’ve taken advantage of that to the extent they’re
using these folks for convenience rather than security."
Protection costs $1 million
Based on CHP records, total costs for protecting five constitutional officers have generally held steady at just over $1 million the past six fiscal years – in contrast to the threefold rise in overall Protective Services Division costs.
In 2008-09, the state spent an average of $212,000 for those five, ranging from state Controller John Chiang to Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. Information was incomplete for the lieutenant governor’s office.
From San Francisco, a KGO-TV report last month questioned why the state provides such services for state leaders who are largely unrecognizable to the public. Representatives for several constitutional officers said their officers receive threats and that leaders need protection while making controversial decisions.
Attorney General Jerry Brown is protected by agents in his own Department of Justice. Brown’s protection costs have dropped for three straight years, but still cost the state $405,252 in 2008-09.
CHP officers travel with statewide leaders as they campaign for other offices. During the 2006 gubernatorial race, CHP followed Schwarzenegger and Democratic challenger Phil Angelides, then state treasurer, as they crisscrossed the state for campaign events and fundraisers. Security costs for Angelides rose 72 percent from $201,304 in 2003-04 to $347,738 in 2005-06.
Poizner is running for governor in 2010 and Brown is expected to run for that office.
Of the prospect that costs could rise for Brown as he campaigns, spokeswoman Christine Gasparac said "security costs are related to security needs, and we do everything we can to keep those costs down."
Poizner spokesman Darrel Ng said, "During Commissioner Poizner’s tenure, thousands of alleged criminals have been thrown behind bars. Because criminals who seek to harm our elected leaders make no distinction whether they appear at official events or other public events, they are protected by CHP at all times."
Coupal said constitutional officers running for other offices should use campaign funds to reimburse the CHP.
California is not unique in providing protection for its governor and first family, but anecdotal evidence suggests it is less common to extend that service to other statewide leaders. Julia Hurst of the National Lieutenant Governors Association estimated that between one-quarter and one-third of lieutenant governors nationwide receive protection in varying degrees.
Ventura costs questioned
In Minnesota, no state official except the governor receives a state vehicle, let alone a driver or security, said the state’s legislative auditor, James R. Nobles.
"We don’t do that here," Nobles said. "It’s a Midwestern thing, perhaps."
Nobles raised questions in 1999 about state trooper costs for protecting then-Gov. Jesse Ventura on a four-city book tour. Like Schwarzenegger, Ventura was a celebrity governor who drew crowds wherever he went.
Travel to Los Angeles, New York, Washington and Chicago for three state troopers cost roughly $12,000 at the time. Nobles questioned why the state should pay for security during what amounted to a money-making trip.
In 2001-02, Minnesota spent $1.38 million on security costs for Ventura, according to a state audit. Asked whether disclosing that figure jeopardized security, Nobles said, "I don’t think we’d want to reveal every detail about security, but these are public costs, and generally in Minnesota we are very open about any costs incurred by the public."
In defense of the rising budget, the CHP’s Clader said the state can’t cut corners on security.
"People are out there looking to do ill will toward people in public service," she said. "You’re talking about protecting somebody’s life. It’s hard to put a cost on that. How much is too much to ensure you’re providing an adequate level of protection?"
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