Friday, November 13, 1998

Hit the ground running

Two new state executive are wasting no time putting their houses in order.

Attorney General-elect John Cornyn's transition team is being led by Larry York, who served as first assistant attorney general under Democrat John Hill, probably the most respected of Cornyn's recent predecessors. Cornyn scores high marks for de-politicizing the office and for choosing quality over party.

Meanwhile, Land Commissioner-elect David Dewhurst is bringing in Houston attorney Howard Wolf, a corporate reorganizer who helped reshape Continental Airlines and Midway Airlines, and former GOP state Rep. Ashley Smith to head his transition team, at no pay, and to recommend changes in budgeting, operations and mission before the Legislature convenes in January.

Land Commission bureaucrats are nervous. Considering that the sprawling agency has been run by Democrat Garry Mauro for the last 16 years, those changes could be substantial.