Good Trip; Now Back to the Desk

Gov. Gray Davis is home after a two-week trade mission in which he immersed California further into foreign relations than any chief executive before him--to the point that one of the business leaders traveling with him told The Times’ Dan Morain, “If he continues doing this, he is going to redefine the job of governor.”

Indeed, it was quite a trip for a first-year governor--five countries, meetings with four heads of government and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. But whether there will be an economic payoff for California is difficult to predict and will depend on diligent follow-up and detail work in the months to come.

Davis needs to bolster California’s nine foreign trade offices. Early this year, he fired many of the office directors, who had been appointed by his Republican predecessor. Ten months later, five of the jobs remain vacant. Those positions should be made independent of politics. Davis is already moving in that direction, proposing that the six additional offices he plans to open be run under contract by professional managers, as are two existing offices. Davis has also taken a positive step by reassessing the role of the trade offices and how they can be most effective.

Once, Davis’ trip would have been called a boondoggle, but there’s no question now that there is benefit to the state. Exports are a vital and growing part of California’s $1-trillion economy, the world’s seventh largest. Proponents insist that the personal contact with foreign officials and business leaders is important in developing new business.

There were some disturbing notes. Davis’ delegation was dominated by campaign supporters and contributors. Political perks are all right, but they should not appear to cross the line to state policymaking.

Some of the executives might also be envisioning Davis turning his foreign trade experience into a future run for the presidency. For now, however, Davis hasn’t finished defining his governorship of California, and he has a desk piling up with issues awaiting his decisions.