January 23, 2011

The California Medical Association (CMA), committed to keeping its members informed of the latest developments in health care policy and the politics affecting it, has launched a new biweekly column by veteran journalist Greg Lucas to report on the inner workings of the state Legislature.

Titled "CMA Capitol Insight," The column debuted on Jan. 18. Lucas, who covered the state Capitol for 19 years as a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, is known for his wit and well-placed sources.

"For those of you who have walked the halls of the California State Capitol, you know it is akin to visiting a foreign land, with an equally foreign language," CMA CEO Dustin Corcoran wrote, in his introduction to the column. "We hope you garner a new perspective and that you have a laugh or two in the process."

Here is an excerpt from Lucas' first column:

"Viva la Difference...Brown is a far different person than his GOP predecessor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Most noticeably, Brown has no hair--burnt sienna, mahogany or otherwise. Brown will live in a midtown Sacramento loft from which he can walk to work. Schwarzenegger had a penthouse atop the downtown Hyatt, flying back and forth from Los Angeles on a private jet. Brown walks through the Capitol hallways without security sealing them off and enters the governor's office by the front doors, not through the private elevator from the Capitol's basement parking lot. Brown is into jogging and treadmills, not free weights. Nor does Brown countenance a phalanx of security personnel shadowing him. SUVs and Hummers are out. Think Crown Victoria. And, under Brown, experience is a plus, not a pejorative. That's just how it is: Older folks tend to listen more to old hands."

Look for Lucas' next column on Jan. 31.