1 BEFORE THE CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION 2 450 N STREET 3 SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA 4 5 6 7 REPORTER'S TRANSCRIPT 8 DECEMBER 15, 2010 9 10 SPECIAL PRESENTATION OF BOARD RESOLUTION TO 11 BARBARA ALBY 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Reported by: Juli Price Jackson 22 No. CSR 5214 23 24 25 26 27 28 1 1 2 P R E S E N T 3 4 For the Board Betty T. Yee of Equalization: Chair 5 Jerome E. Horton 6 Vice-Chair 7 Barbara Alby Acting Member 8 Michelle Steel 9 Member 10 John Chiang State Controller 11 12 Diane G. Olson Chief, Board 13 Proceedings Division 14 15 16 ---oOo--- 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 2 1 450 N STREET 2 SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA 3 DECEMBER 15, 2010 4 ---oOo--- 5 MS. YEE: Actually, I'm going to just kind of 6 exercise some prerogative here, if I may? 7 I'd like to take up the special resolution. 8 MS. OLSON: Okay. 9 MS. YEE: Thank you. 10 Ms. Alby, front and center. 11 So, just as it's always bittersweet to say 12 farewell to longtime Board of Equalization employees who 13 have served not only our agency well, but the State of 14 California well, it also is bittersweet when we have to 15 say farewell to a colleague of ours, with whom we have 16 served. 17 And Barbara Ably is not going far. She is 18 actually going to be serving as the Deputy Chief in our 19 Taxpayers' Rights Advocate's Office. And I think her 20 close to eight years here -- she's going to be armed 21 with a lot of good stuff to be sure that we're doing 22 right by the taxpayers of California. 23 But what I just want to say, Barbara, is it's 24 been really a pleasure and an honor to serve with you. 25 And she has a long public service career, as many of you 26 know, has served in the legislature, always looking out 27 for the underdog. And I think it's a voice that is 28 sorely needed, particularly now when the economy is not 3 1 doing well and a lot of people are struggling. 2 So, we are looking forward to your leadership, 3 along with Mr. Gilman, in the Taxpayers' Rights 4 Advocate's Office. 5 And just on a personal note, many of you know 6 Barbara and I came over to the Board together in 2003 as 7 Chief Deputies to our predecessor Members and we feel 8 like we unearthed a lot of skeletons when we came over 9 here and more so than even the Board Members did. 10 So, we had -- we continued to share secrets 11 about this place. And it's kind of what do well. We're 12 good detectives and we're always good -- we were always 13 good staff members to our principals, but it is what's 14 made us, I think, effective is to know, you know, how 15 things work here, how things could be improved but, more 16 importantly, I think she's been a terrific advocate for 17 the employees here at the Board and will continue to 18 show that leadership in the Taxpayers' Advocate's 19 Office. 20 So, Barbara, congratulations and we look 21 forward to continuing to work with you. And it's really 22 been an honor and a privilege. Thank you. 23 Let me have your -- 24 (Applause) 25 MS. ALBY: Thank you. 26 MS. YEE: I want to have the other Members say 27 a few words as well. This is -- it's always hard when 28 we have to have a transition about -- of Members, but I 4 1 know many of you have the same sentiments. 2 MS. STEEL: I just want to say thank you, love 3 you and I'm glad you are here. And I know I am going to 4 call you almost every day. 5 I'm wondering who's going to give us resolution 6 when we are retiring? It's so beautiful here, but thank 7 you for your serving for eight years and then I having 8 known you forever. 9 And she is a great person and thank you very 10 much. 11 MS. ALBY: Thank you. 12 MR. HORTON: Well, Senator Alby, it's been a 13 pleasure and certainly an honor. 14 She is a true champion of the people of the 15 State of California. And I wish I could say that you 16 will be missed, but you won't, you'll always be in my 17 heart. And I'll always hold you closely. 18 Thank you so very much. 19 MR. CHIANG: Thanks, Pastor Jerome. 20 MR. HORTON: Pass the plate. 21 MR. CHIANG: I just spoke about Barbara, we all 22 did about twenty minutes ago, so, Barbara, you're going 23 to have to listen to it a second time -- I'll change a 24 few words. 25 When I think of Barbara, when I have a sense of 26 Barbara, there's one word and it's beautiful. She has a 27 very special spirit. She's an incredible soul. She has 28 tremendous passion and compassion. 5 1 She has elevated the office in the sense of 2 what people need. I pointed out she's going to the 3 perfect place because at this time of extraordinary 4 struggle for so many people, and we understand we have 5 to turn our economy around, people want to feel that 6 they have somebody who understands where they are and is 7 going to advocate for them. So, I think we've made the 8 perfect selection in having a vigorous, thoughtful 9 advocate who's going to make the great work of the Board 10 of Equalization even greater. And we will all benefit. 11 So, Barbara, we are going to miss you on the 12 dais, you always a sense of, you know, everybody adds a 13 contribution, you have made a tremendous contribution, 14 so, even though you're with the agency, your loss will 15 still be felt. 16 So, you know, you are in our hearts. 17 MS. ALBY: Thank you. 18 Me, my turn? 19 MS. YEE: Sure. 20 MS. ALBY: Thank you all. 21 John, I'm glad you didn't say everything you 22 said this morning because it was overwhelming for me. 23 But I -- it's -- I am honored that you have taken this 24 time on my behalf and all of you have come to be part of 25 this. 26 In fact, when I heard the words this morning, I 27 got nervous it was my funeral. Well, I'm not invisible, 28 am I? 6 1 But my colleagues are more than generous and I 2 noticed that my -- will always be -- you call me 3 "Senator" all the time -- I make him do this. I said 4 you have to -- from now on, I am Senator to you. 5 My boss, my ex-boss, who in my heart has been 6 my boss, Bill Leonard was here at the breakfast and I 7 see has left, but I think that I -- I don't think, I 8 know that I speak for him as well, when I say both of us 9 have been honored to serve here. 10 I shared this morning with a little bit fewer 11 people that when we came over from the legislature, we 12 really didn't know what we would find. It was -- the 13 legislature, as you know, the folks don't get along a 14 lot there and there is a lot of, you know, partisanship 15 and whatnot and we all -- we're elected. There are 16 certain things that divide us in philosophy. 17 But we were amazed and it is tremendous -- it's 18 a tremendous thing about this organization is that the 19 leadership works together. There is such a unity of 20 purpose to serve here and that was a great honor to part 21 of. And it's no accident. We have people of great 22 character up here, but also the staff, all of you -- the 23 executive team, the people at the counters -- everyone 24 has -- is committed to serving. 25 So, the staff of this organization makes it 26 easy for us to do our job. And I just appreciate that 27 so very much. I need to tell you that. And Mr. Leonard 28 does as well. 7 1 And I leave with some sadness, but I'm glad -- 2 I shared this morning that Todd -- there was room in the 3 inn. And I am going to join him and be part of his 4 team. And I'm very much looking forward to that because 5 that really is my heart here are the taxpayers. 6 And I would be remiss if I hadn't -- didn't ask 7 my staff, the Leonard team -- and for me they'll always 8 be the Leonard team, I'm part of the Leonard team -- but 9 if we can have the Leonard-Alby team stand? 10 And I wanted to tell everyone how important 11 you've been to my success as a Member here. So, thank 12 you all so very much. 13 Susan's in the back. Where's Tom? 14 UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: Getting ready for the 15 cases. 16 MS. ALBY: So, thank you very much for your 17 service. 18 (Applause) 19 MS. ALBY: Thank you so much. 20 So, with that I will bid adjourning from this 21 position to my next position here, which I am so 22 grateful that the Members here appreciate my heart and 23 are allowing me to continue to serve. 24 So, thank you so very much as well. 25 (Applause). 26 ---o0o--- 27 28 8 1 REPORTER'S CERTIFICATE. 2 3 State of California ) 4 ) ss 5 County of Sacramento ) 6 7 I, JULI PRICE JACKSON, Hearing Reporter for the 8 California State Board of Equalization certify that on 9 DECEMBER 15, 2010 I recorded verbatim, in shorthand, to 10 the best of my ability, the proceedings in the 11 above-entitled hearing; that I transcribed the shorthand 12 writing into typewriting; and that the preceding pages 1 13 through 8 constitute a complete and accurate 14 transcription of the shorthand writing. 15 16 Dated: December 24, 2010 17 18 19 ____________________________ 20 JULI PRICE JACKSON 21 Hearing Reporter 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 9