Governor Schwarzenegger today signed an executive order creating the new position of Advisor for Military Affairs, which will coordinate and develop policy impacting California's relationship with the U.S. Military, including personnel and their families. This photo was taken today in the Governor's Cabinet Room in Sacramento.
For a high resolution copy of this photo, click here.
Governor Schwarzenegger today announced the newly-created position of Advisor for Military Affairs (AMA) which will help coordinate and develop policy impacting California's relationship with the U.S. Military, including personnel and their families.
Created by Executive Order S-16-06, the Governor announced the new position within his office after conducting his first meeting with the Governor's Advisory Council on Military Affairs, created last month. The Advisory Council consists of the Governor, the Adjutant General of the California National Guard and representatives from the U.S. Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. Their mission is to help develop partnerships and programs to serve California's men and women in the military.
"California has a rich history with the U.S. Military - we not only broke the sound barrier here, our hard working men and women helped build the space shuttle and continue to play a vital role in protecting California and the Nation," said Governor Schwarzenegger.
"Our brave military personnel are incredible and we owe them our deepest gratitude for taking extraordinary risks and making tremendous sacrifices in defense of our country's freedom and democracy. We will always make sure that our state does everything it possibly can to help our men and women in uniform."
The AMA will be located within the Governor's Office of Planning and Research and will focus on state policies that are critical to the military including land use planning to ensure the sustainability of defense activities in California, and the development of legislation that supports the mutual efforts of California and the U.S. Department of Defense.
California's approximately 160,000 active duty personnel face a number of unique issues related to serving in the military, such as moving their families often. The Advisory Council and AMA will work closely with the armed forces, the California Legislature and other state officials to address the needs of military personnel.
The Governor's executive order also calls for the AMA to join with the California Department of Corporations to create the State Military Financial Task Force whose mission will be to protect military personnel and their families from being victimized by deceptive financing and investment schemes. A growing number of military families have been subjected to financial fraud by unscrupulous operators preying on their military status and deployment situation.
In March, Governor Schwarzenegger announced an effort to make California's higher education system more accessible to military personnel leaving the service by forming the Veterans Education Opportunities Partnership, which serves as a model for veteran education by developing an academic outreach, admission, and enrollment plan that targets and assists the approximately 60,000 California veterans exiting military service each year. The partnership consists of senior administration officials, Cabinet Secretaries for Education, Labor and Workforce Development, and Veterans Affairs; Chancellors for the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU) and California Community Colleges (CCC); and California's military leaders.
EXECUTIVE ORDER S-16-06
WHEREAS the State of California, its cities and counties, and the Department of Defense (DoD) have a long history of partnership and cooperation that dates back to California's admission to the Union; and
WHEREAS California's civilian and military personnel have and continue to play a central role in America's defense; and
WHEREAS California recognizes that our State remains critical in providing human resources, training and research and development facilities to continue to defend our State and nation currently and into the future; and
WHEREAS the military and California have an historic relationship that helps support the State and local economies by bringing installations, staff and support industries to the State; and
WHEREAS the military remains one of the largest economic sectors in California with the DoD spending more than $43 billion annually on approximately 160,000 active duty military personnel affiliated with more than 60 military installations; and
WHEREAS the financial well-being of the men and women serving in the United States armed forces is imperative to their ability to focus their attention on defending the State and nation's interests; and
WHEREAS members of the United States armed forces and their families have been subject to unlawful, fraudulent and deceptive financing and investment schemes and have been pressured into buying financial products that they do not need and which do not make sense for their financial situation; and
WHEREAS serious financial problems can negatively affect unit morale and readiness as well as military service members' credit history and military career; and
WHEREAS state law prohibits fraudulent and deceptive financial and investment practices committed against any person in California; and
WHEREAS since 2005, the Department of Corporations (DOC) has undertaken a public awareness and education campaign -Troops Against Predatory Scams (TAPS) - to combat predatory lending practices, high-cost mutual funds, and investment scams aimed at service members and their families.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor of the State of California, by virtue of the power and authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the State of California, do hereby issue this Order to become effective immediately:
1. The position of the Governor's Advisor of Military Affairs is hereby established in the Governor's Office of Planning and Research. The Governor's Advisor of Military Affairs shall coordinate the development of state policies that are crucial to the military, including, but not limited to the following areas:
1. Land use planning to ensure sustainability of defense activities in California.
1. Development of legislation that supports the California - DoD relationship.
1. Work with the defense agencies to address regulatory activities by state agencies that affect the sustainability of defense operations in California.
1. Work with relevant agency secretaries and department directors to identify critical staff in the Administration to further facilitate cooperation between the State and military.
1. Work closely with representatives of the armed forces regarding issues of importance to the men and women in the military and their families living in California.
1. Serve as the Administration's lead advocate on state and federal policy impacting the armed forces based in California.
2. The Governor's Advisor of Military Affairs and the Commissioner of Corporations shall create a State Military Financial Protection Task Force, its membership shall include:
1. The Commissioner of Corporations or his or her designee shall serve as co-chair of the Task Force.
1. The Governor's Advisor of Military Affairs or his or her designee shall serve as co-chair of the Task Force. The Director of the Governor's Office of Planning and Research shall serve in this capacity until a Military Affairs Advisor is appointed.
1. The Adjutant General of the California National Guard or his or her designee.
1. The Secretary of State and Consumer Services or his or her designee.
1. The Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing or his or her designee.
1. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs or his or her designee.
1. The Commissioner of Financial Institutions or his or her designee.
1. Other representatives to be determined by the Commissioner of Corporations.
The following are invited to participate as members of the Task Force: the Attorney General, the Insurance Commissioner, the Senate President Pro Tempore, the Speaker of the Assembly, the Senate Minority Leader, and the Assembly Minority Leader, or a designee of any of them.
3. The Task Force shall meet no less than quarterly. Its members shall serve without compensation. DOC shall provide for its administrative support within existing resources.
4. The Task Force shall develop proposals for legislation that address the unique issues facing the men and women in the military based in California, including but not limited to programs for the education and protection of military personnel from unlawful financial and investment schemes and practices. It shall report to the Governor and the Legislature on such proposals from time to time as it deems necessary. As soon as possible, the Task Force shall review existing law to determine whether additional legislation is needed to protect military families in the short term as it continues its work; it shall publicly report its findings and recommendations in this regard no later than February 1, 2007.
5. DOC, with the assistance of members of the Task Force, shall coordinate with federal and state military branches, military and veterans' organizations, non-profit organizations, and consumer advocacy organizations to obtain, develop and distribute financial literacy materials and information to military personnel and their families through outreach events and other forums.
6. DOC shall serve as the principal state liaison with the Financial Literacy Campaign of the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and the National Association of Securities Dealers Educational Foundation on military financial literacy education.
I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this Order be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given to this Order.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 23rd day of August 2006.
______________________________
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor of California
ATTEST:
_______________________________
BRUCE McPHERSON
Secretary of State
Alexander Kim
Deputy Director - Los Angeles Office
Office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
300 South Spring St., Suite 16701
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Tel. 213-897-0322 Fax. 213-897-0319
