Governor’s Standard Speech Is Worth $7,500 This Time

A Claremont McKenna College alumni group Wednesday heard Gov. George Deukmejian talk about the need to improve the quality of public education, upgrade California’s highways and boost the state’s economy.

It was the kind of address Deukmejian delivers frequently--for free--in his role as the state’s chief executive.

But the Res Publica alumni organization paid the governor a $7,500 honorarium--the largest amount the governor has ever accepted for making a speech, according to the statements of economic interest he is required to file each year. During his first four years in office, Deukmejian received a total of $27,500 in speaking fees, the documents show.

On Jan. 1, the governor’s annual salary jumped from $49,100 to $85,000 as a result of legislation Deukmejian signed into law in 1984.

Press secretary Kevin Brett, who accompanied Deukmejian to the luncheon speech, said he believed the honorarium was the first such payment the governor has accepted this year.

“It should be recognized that the governor has never solicited an honorarium, and this is no exception,” Brett said. “This is not unprecedented, and it will be dutifully reported on the governor’s statement of economic interest.”

John P. Faranda, a spokesman for Claremont McKenna College, said Res Publica offered Deukmejian the speaking fee because it always offers an honorarium to speakers who appear before the group.

The organization, which raises funds for the college, meets half a dozen times a year to hear guest speakers--who usually charge more than $7,500 for an appearance, he said.

“One of the things we try to do is get some visibility for Claremont McKenna College,” he said.