Gov. Jan Brewer/AP file photo
As Gov. Jan Brewer has filled various posts on her policy staff, she has selected a collection of experienced government operatives with Republican ties and the occasional outside lobbyist. Nothing surprising there, as governors typically want people who have been loyal, and will continue to be, while also being effective in high-pressure positions. In general, Brewer’s choices have matched jobs with people who have expertise or at least general experience in that area. In other words, Brewer has not stuffed with her personal staff with political hacks.
So her latest appointment today did catch me off-guard. Victor Daniels, a former lobbyist with Qwest Communications, will be Brewer’s policy adviser on urban outreach and military affairs. Daniels’ previous experience in working with city governments has focused on Flagstaff and smaller communities in northern Arizona. Daniels might have a learning curve to climb when it comes to the state’s biggest municipalities. Still, he clearly understand the basics of how city halls operate.
It’s the second part of his title that confuses me. Daniels also will have the task of representing the governor’s office in dealing with various military matters such as protecting the viability of Luke Air Force Base and the state’s other federal facilities. Daniels has never served in the armed forces, which I would have assumed to be essential to this type of assignment.
But Paul Senseman, the governor’s spokesman, pointed out to me by e-mail that the last person who held a similar post in the Janet Napolitano administration also had no personal military experience. So maybe it’s not a big deal to the U.S. Defense Department and other experts that Daniels will have to deal with.
In case you’re wondering, Daniels does have other ties that will be quite useful to Brewer, such as an one-time staff member for former congressman and popular talk radio host J.D. Hayworth, and as a board member for the Arizona Tax Research Association (a group that lobbies for lower taxes primarily on behalf of utilities such as Qwest).
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