Democrats put heat on governor

Sacramento Bee ^ | 3/7/6 | Andy Furillo

[SmithL]

Núñez, Perata say Schwarzenegger must get his party on board with bond deal.

The Legislature's two leading Democrats called on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday to pressure his Republican colleagues in the Assembly if he wants to get an infrastructure bond plan on the June 6 ballot.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, and state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, said they have resolved their own infrastructure differences and that it's up to the governor and the Assembly GOP members to close the gap between their own proposals so the Legislature can present a bond deal to the voters.

"He is the leader of the Republicans," Núñez said of Schwarzenegger. "One would think the governor has the responsibility of getting the Republicans on board to support whatever views he negotiates with the Legislature. There's no question in my world, it's the governor's responsibility to bring the Republicans on board and he should negotiate for them.

"If they're not on the same page, if the Republicans in this Capitol aren't on the same page, then how are (they) going to negotiate with the Democrats?"

Núñez said it is "unlikely" that an agreement can be hatched by Friday's deadline to make it for the June ballot, but that "we're prepared and we're ready to make a deal happen if necessary."

Schwarzenegger on Monday gave a luncheon speech to the New Majority Committee in Orange County, an engagement his political staff said had long been in the planning. The governor returned to Sacramento in the afternoon and met separately with the Democratic and Republican leaders into the evening.

Gubernatorial spokeswoman Margita Thompson said "everybody is committed" to getting the best bond deal at the soonest date.

"Just as people on the Democratic side of the aisle have their priorities,

[TheOracleAtLilac]

so the Legislature can present a bond deal to the voters

What's wrong w/ this picture ?

I was under the (mistaken ?) understanding that we send these morons to Sacto to handle items like this.

[goldstategop]

Borrowing has to be approved by voters. I'd vote "NO" because its too expensive and secondly they'll never put a dime of it to use to repair our state infrastructure. I hope Republicans kill it rather than allow a bad deal to go on the ballot. We're servicing a lot of debt right now and the politicians in Sacramento still haven't told us how they will pay for all these new bonds.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[FOG724]

I was under the (mistaken ?) understanding that we send these morons to Sacto to handle items like this.

Shows what you know.

[TheOracleAtLilac]

let's see if I understand how things work in Sacto:

Borrowing has to be approved by voters
but, deficit spending has no oversight

[calcowgirl]

but, deficit spending has no oversight...

Prop 57/58, the $15 Billion dollar bond measure pushed by Schwarzenegger and approved by voters, provided a slush fund to allow for continued deficit spending.

[calcowgirl]

"He is the leader of the Republicans," Núñez said of Schwarzenegger. "One would think the governor has the responsibility of getting the Republicans on board to support whatever views he negotiates with the Legislature.

Sorry Fabian. Just because the Governor wants to promote a Democrat program, don't expect Republicans to follow.

[TheOracleAtLilac]

California's future's so bright...she better wear shades !

[calcowgirl]

Maybe the Governor will get on board with the Republican plan:

...the Assembly Republicans have proposed their own plan that includes paying for new infrastructure on a yearly basis out of the general fund. The Republicans also have proposed to cut back on the environmental review process and check the influence of labor unions in the contracting process.

Assemblyman Rick Keene, R-Chico, laughed Monday when told that the Democratic leaders view his caucus as obstructing the negotiation process leading up to a bond deal for the ballot.

"You can't get on the same page with us without talking to us," said Keene, the Republican Assembly member in the legislative conference committee that is hashing out infrastructure. "At this point, they've been talking to each other and talking to the governor, but we really haven't been engaged in a lot of the conversations."

(snip)

"What we really want to see is stuff built, and we want it built more efficiently," Keene said.

The Assembly Republicans, however, have voiced no support for bond financing.

[SmithL]

Maybe the Governor will get on board with the Republican plan

I certainly hope so, but I don't have very high expectations that he will.