The election got a good deal of coverage last semester, but often overlooked – in all levels of governance – is the authority vested to unelected officials. Appropriations Board decisions are rarely challenged by the Senate, and as a result this sort of Council has almost unilateral control over club funding. The Treasurer’s role has recently been expanded, and has as much de facto power as any of the other executives. And of course, the Elections Commissioner ended up playing quite the powerful role in last year’s election.

President Nagata emphasized transparency in his inaugural, and so far he’s off to a good start, having provided this site with a list of all appointed officials for the upcoming year. The list can be viewed as a Word document here, and can also be seen in entirety after the jump.

The federal government’s much longer Plum Book can be accessed here.

Some of our personal favorites:

-Former Senator and FCC-alum Jimmy Mackenzie will be leading the Freshman Class Council.

-Former Senator Kayla Patrick will be serving as Vice President Fritze’s chief of staff.

-Kenny Ho’s punishment for his performance as Election Commissioner? Appointment as a Club Advocate.

2009-2010 Staff

Full Time Staff

ASUA Associate Director

Chrissy Lieberman ceagan@email.arizona.edu

ASUA Advisor

Claudia Davila claudia@email.arizona.edu

CSIL Advisor

Jen Hoefle    jhoefle@email.arizona.edu

ASUA Grad Assistant

Aurelia Kollasch   kollasch@email.arizona.edu

Business Manager

Gail Tanner tannerg@email.arizona.edu

Administrative Secretary

Becca Hull asuasecretary@email.arizona.edu

Support System Analyst- Sr.

Khaled Sleiman ksleiman@email.arizona.edu

Legal Services Advisor

Susan Ferrell sferrell@email.arizona.edu

2009-2010 Execs

President

Chris Nagata    asuapres@email.arizona.edu

Executive Vice President

Emily Fritze    asuaevp@email.arizona.edu

Administrative Vice President

Gabby Ziccarelli asuaavp@email.arizona.edu

Treasurer

Clifton Harris    cliftonh@email.arizona.edu

2009-2010 President’s Cabinet

Chief of Staff

Ashley Hyne    ahyne@email.arizona.edu

Academic Affairs Director

Sam Ellis    sellis1@email.arizona.edu

Arizona Students Association Directors

Nicole Pasteur    npasteur@email.arizona.edu

Billy Holmes    wholmes@email.arizona.edu

Elma Delic    elmad@email.arizona.edu

Deputy Elections Commissioner

Michael Colletti   colletti@email.arizona.edu

Diversity Executive Director

Ryan Klenke    rklenke@email.arizona.edu

Elections Commissioner

Justine Picitello   jmpisc@email.arizona.edu

Marketing Executive Director

John Rushworth   johnm3@email.arizona.edu

Outreach & Development Director

Christine Pham   cmpham@email.arizona.edu

Safety Director

James Allen    james90@email.arizona.edu

Special Events Director

Caleb Wilson    calebw@email.arizona.edu

ZonaZoo Executive Director

Raul Ponce rdponce@email.arizona.edu

ZonaZoo Associate Director

Hersh Goel    hershg@email.arizona.edu

ZonaZoo Programming Director

Christina Searby   csearby@email.arizona.edu

ZonaZoo Media & Communications Director

Luke DeVogelaere   devog@email.arizona.edu

ZonaZoo Marketing Director

Conner Comp    clcomp@email.arizona.edu

ZonaZoo Community Development Director

Mitchell Horrillo horrillo@email.arizona.edu

ZonaZoo Campus Outreach Director

Alison Coleman   alisonc@email.arizona.edu

ZonaZoo Crew

Amanda Camera acamera@email.arizona.edu

Seema Patel supatel@email.arizona.edu

Tess Calle tmcal@email.arizona.edu

Carrie Hardesty cmh413@email.arizona.edu

Brian Martinez brimtz32@email.arizona.edu

Andrew Rosenblum arosenbl@email.arizona.edu

Samantha Bass sbass@email.arizona.edu

Krista Udd kmudd@email.arizona.edu

Madeline Rundin mrundin@email.arizona.edu

Ben Gabrielson bgabriel@email.arizona.edu

Lisa Lane llane@email.arizona.edu

Michael Ortega mikey13@email.arizona.edu

Andrew Blaho andrewb4@email.arizona.edu

Courtney Collen ccollen@email.arizona.edu

Derek Burr peteburr@email.arizona.edu

Shane Swinnerton enahs@email.arizona.edu

Giuliano Lepe glepe@email.arizona.edu

Kate Clarke kclarke@email.arizona.edu

Jacqueline Sherman jacquels@email.arizona.edu

John Rushworth johnm3@email.arizona.edu

Brian Swindell bns@email.arizona.edu

Jason Mighdoll mighdoll@email.arizona.edu

Megan Flynn mkf@email.arizona.edu

Michael Israel misrael@email.arizona.edu

Glenn Musa gmusa@email.arizona.edu

Morgan Ingram mingram@email.arizona.edu

Laura Freeman lfreeman@email.arizona.edu

Abel Serratos abels@email.arizona.edu

Angela Richter richtera@email.arizona.edu

Rachelle Gavello rgavello@email.arizona.edu

Ben Suber nebrebus@email.arizona.edu

Caitlin Wilenchick cbw1@email.arizona.edu

Dominick San Angelo dom4556@email.arizona.edu

Hannah Laskin hrlaskin@email.arizona.edu

Cassandra Mele   cmele@email.arizona.edu

2009-2010 Executive Cabinet

Chief of Staff

Kayla Patrick    kpatrick@email.arizona.edu

2009-2010 Senate

Eduardo Atjian   eatjian@email.arizona.edu

Sarah Bratt:    bratt@email.arizona.edu

James Brooks    jebrooks@email.arizona.edu

Hillary Davidson hedavids@email.arizona.edu

Tyler Quillin    tquillin@email.arizona.edu

Ryan Ruiz     rruiz@email.arizona.edu

Daniel Wallace   dwallace@email.arizona.edu

Stephan Wallace   wallace@email.arizona.edu

Katherine Weingartner  kaw1@email.arizona.edu

Leo Yamaguchi   lyamaguc@email.arizona.edu

2

009-2010 Club Resource Center

Club Advocates

Kenny Ho ktho@email.arizona.edu

Taylor Hedberg hedbergt@email.arizona.edu

Jason Clairmont jclairm@email.arizona.edu

Ellen Le ellenl@email.arizona.edu

Kim Jewell kjewell@email.arizona.edu

Appropriations Board

Mohamed Arif marif@email.arizona.edu

Monica Monteilh monicamo@email.arizona.edu

Steven Otero otero@email.arizona.edu

Jane Farrar

Devin Dunatov ddunatov@email.arizona.edu

Lauren Stapp lastapp@email.arizona.edu

Billy Day wday@email.arizona.edu

Standards Board

James Allen james90@email.arizona.edu

Jarrett Benkendorfer jarrettb@email.arizona.edu

Danielle Estrada dme1@email.arizona.edu

Brent Hanson hansonb@email.arizona.edu

John Hasselberger jdh1@email.arizona.edu

Megan Mignella mignella@email.arizona.edu

Caity Morrison caity@email.arizona.edu

2009-2010 Programs & Services

Chief of Staff

Brett Ponton bponton@email.arizona.edu

A-Town Director

Geni Flagello    gflagell@email.arizona.edu

Bear Down Camp Director (2009)

Kenny Don    don@email.arizona.edu

Community Development Director

Aysha Fuller    afuller@email.arizona.edu

Family Weekend Director

Lauren Carter    lcarter1@email.arizona.edu

Freshman Class Council Director

Jimmy Mackenzie    jsmacken@email.arizona.edu

Katlin Simpson   ksimpson@email.arizona.edu

Safe Ride Administrative Director

Scott Zimmerman   speedy42@email.arizona.edu

Safe Ride Operations Director

Jen Pagliughi    jennife3@email.arizona.edu

Student Health Advisory Committee Co-Directors

Maggie Saccomano   mes4@email.arizona.edu

Lyandra Rodriguez   lmr1017@email.arizona.edu

Sustainability Chair

Lesley Ash    ash87@email.arizona.edu

Pride Alliance Director

Jai Smith    jais@email.arizona.edu

Wildcat Worldfair Director

Wildcat Worldfair Assistant

Women’s Resource Center

Malia Uhatafe    maliau@email.arizona.edu

2009-2010 Spring Fling Directors

Executive Director  Lexy Keffeler  keffeler@email.arizona.edu

Corporate Director  Kristina Keffeler kkeffele@email.arizona.edu

Business Director  Richard Teran rteran@email.arizona.edu

Club Relations  Shandy Rivera shandals@email.arizona.edu

Field Operations  Doug Brelsford douglasb@email.arizona.edu

Marketing   Chase Sutton  cbsutton@email.arizona.edu

Public Relations  Megan Jones  mjjones@email.arizona.edu

Physical Resources Ely Self eself@email.arizona.edu

Community Relations Deanna Mariner dmariner@email.arizona.edu

 If you want a job in the Obama Administration join the very long line! Approximately 290,000 people have submitted resumes for a job in the President-elect’s administration. Interest in Obama Administration jobs is way higher than in previous administrations.  There are only 8,000 non-career positions available according to the Plum Book – the official list of jobs in a president’s administration.

By comparison, President Bush received 44,000 requests for jobs in 2001 and President Clinton received 125,000 applications for jobs in 1993.

 “You cannot predict what results will come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Thanks to the political research team here at APR (aka me watching CNN on my couch) we have been working tirelessly to uncover the candidates for the new White House administration. With nearly 8,000 jobs to be filled in the next few weeks, President Elect Obama will certainly have his desk swarming with resumes and cover letters. Everyone from Hillary Clinton and Colin Powell to Joe Sixpack and Joe the Plumber (well, maybe not that d-bag) will be vying for a spot on Obama’s staff. These potential candidates are currently searching through the Plum Booklike a political version of Cragislist (minus the whole casual encounters part.)

Resumes and portfolios are already piling up on the desk of the Oval Office. They’re stacked up right next to the even larger pile marked: “Shit Bush Left Obama To Deal With.” Since the resumes will be in the thousands, candidates will be forced to stand out from the pack. Even the top positions will have to duke it out through experience and originality. Sure, most of them have great foreign policy and health care experience, but why would one be a better Secretary of State than the other? That is the difficult question Obama is currently faced with. Could the President Elect work so closely with Hillary after beating her in the primaries? Would Republican Colin Powell work in an all Democratic Cabinet? What will the candidates do to make themselves stand out?

These candidates obviously know Obama well enough by now to cater to his interests. Hillary has the experience in the Senate along with health care reform, but she realizes that is not enough to get her hired. Powell has previously served as Secretary of State and understands the rigors of the job, but he realizes that is not enough to get him the position he so desires. That is why these candidates and others have resorted to…straight up brown nosing.

President Elect Obama has never made it a secret how much he enjoys basketball. There have been numerous interviews regarding his desire to play pick-up games even on the campaign trail. Reports have also leaked that he will build a court at his new residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. With their knowledge of Obama’s favorite past time and a keen ability to suck up, candidates are including their interest in basketball on their resumes.

Thanks to our insider political sources (once again, that would be me scanning the Internet and watching CNN) these important resumes have been uncovered. The research team here has located the resumes of a few powerful candidates competing for the top positions in Obama’s cabinet. And by “located their resumes” I mean “made them up on Microsoft publisher.” Okay….so they might not be technically “real” resumes, but I would not be surprised if these candidates actually do pull the “I used to play JV basketball” card in hopes of landing the job.

Here’s what a few resumes might look like by the time they hit Obama’s desk:

Recently Stu on xetera posted on the massive personal intrusion inherent in applying for a job with the new world hero Obamaman. And I thought fair employment legislation here was tough.

Crookedshore, in the service of his reader whose job is currently at risk due to the economic downturn, went in search of potential employment for his mate. Apparently all 8,000 jobs are published every four years in the Plum Book which details every job in the new administration and their paygrade – even the Director of the CIA. I thought my friend might like a role on the board of the Committee for Purchase from People who are Blind  or Severely Disabled?

Some interesting stats: Mr Paulson, US Treasury Secretary, who has played such a prominent role in seeking to solve the world economic crisis, earns $191k. He left a $30m pa job for the post.

By way of comparison, Mr Brian Lenihan TD, the Irish Minister of Finance in a government that has made an absolute hames of the Irish economic boom of the last 15 years, recently announced a pay cut for all members of the cabinet. Yay for Brian!  He will now receive the princely equivalent sum of $256k. Approximately.

Sadly (for the Irish economy at least) Mr Lenihan is not, so far as we know, a US citizen and therefore cannot get a plum job.

Obama’s transition team is moving ahead to make key executive appointments but there is a whole slew of other, maybe not quite as prestigious, but important positions that will open up as result of the new administration.

If you are considering a move to serve your country, go take a look at the “Plum Book“, just released yesterday which is compendium of positions that will come about as the Bush administration leaves office. (Why do they call it Plum, are they all plum jobs?) If the potential of working within HHS gets you excited, here is the listing (caution PDF) from that Department.  The Washington Post also offers some guidance and caution to would be job seekers.

On a personal note, arguably the most rewarding job I have had in my career (besides this one) was serving as a policy wonk within the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs for the Commonwealth of MA. While the political compromises that are sometimes made can be deeply frustrating, the ability to influence/direct policy and legislation is deeply gratifying, especially when you see the results of your work still having an impact many years later.

An epidemic of layoffs is plaguing the country, but the Help Wanted sign is out in Washington: President-elect Obama’s new administration needs to fill 7,996 positions according to the Plum Book, the quadrennial list of jobs filled by presidential appointment.

The Plum Book also lists the pay schedules for each presidential appointment. According to the book, a member of Obama’s cabinet can make as much as $191,300.

But there are numerous positions whose salaries are not listed in the Plum Book, such as the president’s chief of staff and press secretary, where the pay is at the administration’s discretion, and can be much higher.

No administration official or presidential appointee can make more the president, who currently earns $400,000 a year.

The “Plum Book” — the name comes from the color of its cover — is published every four years immediately following the presidential election. The book was first released in 1952, when — after 22 years of a Democratically-controlled White House — Republican President Dwight Eisenhower’s administration needed to identify what government jobs they could fill. The Plum Book was again produced in 1960 for the Kennedy administration, and has been published every four years since.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – An epidemic of layoffs is plaguing the country, but the Help Wanted sign is out in Washington: President-elect Obama’s new administration needs to fill 7,996 positions according to the Plum Book, the quadrennial list of jobs filled by presidential appointment.

The Plum Book also lists the pay schedules for each presidential appointment. According to the book, a member of Obama’s cabinet can make as much as $191,300.

But there are numerous positions whose salaries are not listed in the Plum Book, such as the president’s chief of staff and press secretary, where the pay is at the administration’s discretion, and can be much higher.

No administration official or presidential appointee can make more the president, who currently earns $400,000 a year.

The “Plum Book” — the name comes from the color of its cover — is published every four years immediately following the presidential election. The book was first released in 1952, when — after 22 years of a Democratically-controlled White House — Republican President Dwight Eisenhower’s administration needed to identify what government jobs they could fill. The Plum Book was again produced in 1960 for the Kennedy administration, and has been published every four years since.

I’m fairly confident that Obama will win the election, and that the Democrats will gain cloture-control in the Senate. But I’m worried about how well Obama will transfer his change rhetoric into policy after inauguration day. Those people who “live ‘off’ politics,” as Weber put it, are at the ready to return from policy schools, think-tanks, law firms, lobbying practices,  and interest-group offices seek a more limited kind of change — to reverse Bush-era policies. This set of political staff, which includes mostly deputy assistant secretary-level officials and below, rarely enter government because they have sought radical change. Their ambitions are limited the parameters of what is politically feasible, rather than ideologically or morally imperative.

Consider healthcare reform. A real plan will need to be crafted in the form of legislation. It will have to raise revenues, set standards, and calculate cut-offs. These rules will be the target of a host of lobbies. Whether, at the end of the day, people fired from their work will be able to retain their health insurance until they  find a new job remains to be seen. How affordable will premiums to enter the government plan be?  Obama said that health insurance was a right. If that language means anything, it means that people cannot be denied their rights. A right to affordable healthcare means that the government must provide healthcare that middle-income citizens can afford. Can a plan that caps the percentage of income for paid for premiums and co-pays at under 10% be achieved? It is estimated at 17% now.

Consider Iraq and Afghanistan. Sticking to a time-table for troop withdrawals from Iraq  when generals ask for more time or when conditions worsen will be a major test for Obama. Increasing US combat forces in Afghanistan when casualties mount will pose a second challenge. Will discretion prevail over valor?

On neither of these issues has Obama been associated with innovative thinkers. His list of senior policy advisors remains the cadre of revolving-door Democrats. This is, in part, to be expected.  But come January, when nominations are announced and new names enter the Plum book, the question is how far these people will push the mandate for change versus restrain it.

You thought you are about to choose just one president?

I’ve read this today:

PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS AFFECTING LIFE ISSUES

As the expression goes, “personnel is policy.” To have his policies carried out, a President must have like-minded individuals in key positions. When we elect a President, then, we also elect an entire army of people appointed by the President who will affect policy at all levels of government, including deciding which private groups participate in federal programs or receive federal grants.

Every President fills over 7,000 positions in the White House, federal departments and agencies, and advisory panels. This figure does not include Judicial Branch appointments. A complete list of all positions filled by presidential appointment is available in the “Plum Book,” the latest edition of which is available at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/plumbook/2004/index.html.

The following list contains some of the key appointments a President makes that can affect the Culture of Life:

Supreme Court Justices (lifetime tenure)

President Ronald Reagan appointed three and promoted Justice Rehnquist to Chief Justice.

President George H.W. Bush appointed two.

President Bill Clinton appointed two.

President George W. Bush appointed two.

Federal Circuit Court of Appeals Judges (lifetime tenure)

Ronald Reagan appointed 83

George H.W. Bush 42

Bill Clinton 66

George W. Bush 57

Federal District Court Judges (lifetime tenure)

Ronald Reagan appointed 290

George H. W. Bush 148

Bill Clinton 305

George W. Bush 237.

White House

Chief of Staff

Counsel to the President

Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy

Director, Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

Special Assistants for Legislative Affairs (lobby Congress to implement proposals backed by White House; at least 11 of these Assistants)

Office of Policy Development (13 appointments)

Office of Management and Budget (sets the federal budget sent to Congress; at least 29 appointments here)

Justice Department

Attorney General (12 appointments to the Office of the Attorney General)

Office of the Solicitor General (the Administration’s counsel before the Supreme Court; 7 appointments)

Executive Office for United States Attorneys (includes over 100 U.S. Attorneys across the country who bring prosecutions for federal crimes, such as, perhaps, partial-birth abortion)

Office of the Associate Attorney General (includes numerous appointees, including those for the Civil Rights Division, which defends the rights of the disabled, among others)

Department of Health and Human Services

Secretary of Health and Human Services (20 appointments, such as Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, Special Assistant for Grants, and Counselor to the Secretary)

Office of the General Counsel (30 appointments)

Assistant Secretary for Public Health and Science (17 appointments, including Surgeon General)

Office of Global Health Affairs (5 appointments)

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Legislation (10 appointments)

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families (34 appointments)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (14 appointments)
Among other things, keeps track of abortion statistics.

National Institutes of Health (20 appointments)

Food and Drug Administration (30 appointments)
Charged with testing, approving, and monitoring drugs for safety, such as RU-486.

State Department

Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration
$750 million budget and 140 employees; oversees international family planning programs.

Ambassador to the United Nations

Argues the American position with regard to international treaties, including those dealing with family planning and women’s rights.

U.S. Agency for International Development (over 50 appointments)

Administers U.S. foreign aid, including contracts for family planning assistance.

Chairman and 15 Members, President’s Council on Bioethics

Head of the Republican National Committee or Democratic National Committee

These committees recruit candidates to run for the House and Senate, thereby having a direct impact on the composition of Congress. They also determine which candidates will get campaign assistance from the party.

THE VETO-PROOF CONGRESS

If the House of Representatives and the Senate pass a bill, the measure is sent to the President for his signature. Under Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution, the President may then veto the legislation and return it to the body where it originated.

Congress may override a presidential veto if two-thirds of those members voting in each house approve the legislation. For example, if only 90 of the 100 Senators are present for a vote to override a veto, 60 votes (two-thirds of those present) would be necessary for the override attempt to be successful. According to the Congressional Research Service, between 1961 and 2005, there were 350 presidential vetoes, 33 of which (9.4 percent) were overridden.

Generally, a “veto proof” Congress is one where the party in opposition to the President controls at least 67 seats in the Senate and 290 in the House. Those numbers would apply, though, only if a vote went strictly along party lines. They would also only apply if every single member of Congress were present for the override vote.

With regard to pro-life/pro-abortion votes in the current House and Senate, there is no fixed number as support for pro-life positions depends on the specific issue involved.

Approximate pro-life and pro-abortion strength could be measured by votes in the most recent Congress.

In the Senate, a move to abandon the Mexico City Policy that bars foreign aid from going to groups that promote abortion was approved in 2007 on a 53-41 vote (six not voting). Thus, 56.4 percent of the Senators voting took a pro-abortion position. A switch of five votes would have made the move to eliminate the Mexico City Policy “veto proof” in the Senate. (NOTE: Of the six Senators who didn’t vote, four, Biden, Clinton, Obama, and Lincoln are pro-abort; thus even if everyone had voted, it still would have taken a switch of only five votes to have made the Senate “veto proof” over a pro-life president.)

In the House of Representatives, a 2007 vote to undermine the Mexico City Policy passed 217-205, with 13 not voting. This represented a 51.1 percent pro-abortion majority. Of those not voting, only three were pro-abortion, so one could say that there were 220 pro-abortion votes on this measure; that would mean a switch of 35 votes would be necessary to obtain a veto-proof pro-abortion majority.

In summary, even if a pro-life president were elected in November, the election of five more pro-abortion Senators and 35 more pro-abortion Congressmen would mean that pro-aborts would be left unchecked to pass and enact deadly, anti-life legislation.

THE FILIBUSTER

In the United States Senate, procedural rules allow for the prolonged delay of a pending vote. This extended delay is called a filibuster.

At one time, rules required that a Senator or Senators actually continue speaking to maintain a filibuster. Today, a Senator only need indicate that he is filibustering, although the Senate Majority Leader has the discretion to require a traditional filibuster, most famously portrayed in the movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” if he chooses.

A filibuster can hold up a vote on a bill for an indefinite period. This usually results in Senators reaching some sort of compromise on the bill or in the bill’s withdrawal from consideration. Sometimes, instead of a bill, presidential nominations to executive or judicial posts are filibustered.

Senate rules do permit filibusters to be ended by cloture votes. Invoking cloture, which ends debate and forces a vote on the bill under consideration, requires a three-fifths vote of all currently sworn Senators. Traditionally, then, a Senate is said to be “filibuster proof” if the majority party has at least 60 seats. (NOTE: Less than 60 votes would be required only if there were two or more vacancies in the Senate.)

Presently, pro-lifers are in the minority in the United States Senate. Fifty-seven Senators now favor ending the Mexico City Policy, which forbids foreign aid being given to groups that perform or promote abortion. If the Senate were to gain three more pro-abortion votes, pro-lifers would not be able to filibuster to prevent the end of the Mexico City Policy.

The filibuster could be a crucial pro-life tool in stopping pro-abortion legislation if both Congress and the presidency were controlled by pro-aborts. Most recently, the filibuster was used by pro-abortion forces to block the confirmation of President Bush’s nominees to federal courts.

The House of Representatives does not permit filibustering.