Posted on 03/13/2006 12:35:28 PM PST by calcowgirl
FLASH: Big Bang Bonds Boom! There Is An Arnold/Fabian Deal. But No Puff Of White Smoke Over The Capitol Dome
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez have a deal on the Big Bang Bonds infrastructure package. But don’t pop those champagne corks — or do the Super Bowl gatorade dump — just yet.
From a variety of informed sources in the Democratic and Republican parties, I’ve learned that a marathon negotiating session between the two yesterday, followed by further talks (but no planned for Big Five meeting this morning due to lingering bad feelings), has resulted in agreement on a plan that is actually bigger than the one that lost on a party line vote in the state Senate late Friday night/early Saturday morning.
The package now is close to $50 billion. Which was, ironically, the very figure that Arnold tossed out there in the immediate aftermath of the special election last November. It is reportedly $660 million more than the deal voted down in the Senate; $400 million of that is for air pollution control.
There may be an Assembly vote on the plan today. Assuming, of course, there are Republican votes for the deal. There is no Senate session planned for this purpose.
So what is in it for Assembly Republicans, who have drawn “several lines in the sand” on the big bonds proposal? Pay as you go financing? No. Reform/undermining of the California Environmental Quality Act? No. (Although certain fast tracking would exist for levee repair and the like.) Undermining of labor’s prevailing wage legislation on big government projects? No. A relatively small bond package to exercise fiscal prudence? No.
What is there from a Republican standpoint is money for flood control and roads, more money for charter schools, and money for two dams. One would be the Perris Dam in Southern California, the other a choice between two sites in Northern California.
What’s in it for Democrats? Well, a great deal. More money for education, public transit, parks, and environmental programs. All of which Republicans have complained about as “extra” beyond basic infrastructure considerations.
All these things put together, of course, violate the California’s constitutional requirement that a ballot measure stick to a single topic. To solve that, Schwarzenegger and Democrats have come up with a companion measure, ACA (Assembly Constitutional Amendment) 10. But this is all coming together so late, so quickly, and in such secrecy, that the normal review of a constitutional amendment by the Legislative Analyst’s Office and the state Attorney General would be waived in the process.
EXCERPT - Continue to read...
Bigger is better. /s
RINOs and RATS... There you have it. All feeding from the same trough.
Your FlashReport "cub reporter" is actually at the State Capitol today. I was going to search out someone that could give me an update on how the 'Big 5' negotiations are going on the BIG BOND$ Infrastructure Plan. Well, just now I stepped off of the elevator on the first floor of the Capitol, and found lead Assembly Republican negotiator on this package, Rick Keene.
To make a long story short, Keene was telling about 15 reporters that, despite good faith efforts by Governor Schwarzenegger, the Democrats continue to want to load up the package "like a Christmas tree loaded with ornaments" - Keene said that Republicans are still very interested in helping a common-sense infrastructure plan come forward, but that right now there is no agreement.
We'll see how it goes - but I am proud of Keene and our GOP legislators for holding a firm line for fiscal sanity!
From Friday night's "deal":
There shall be collected each year and in the same manner and at the same time as other state revenue is collected, in addition to the ordinary revenues of the state, a sum in an amount required to pay the principal of, and interest on, the bonds each year. It is the duty of all officers charged by law with any duty in regard to the collection of the revenue to do and perform each and every act that is necessary to collect that additional sum.
Mercy!
(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.")
Time to call the Republican legislators and tell them they have our FULL support to shut this farce down! And that those who don't will also see our wrath! These back room deals by the Wilsonegger gang and Susan Kennedy will be our demise.
Don't be too proud yet. California Republicans have a long history of cracking their unity just enough to peel off the requisite number of legislators to pass a deal. With a "Republican" governor applying pressure and offering incentives, it won't take much to get this bond on the ballot. Arnold is desperate to have a signature issue to take to the voters to boost his re-election prospects.
Prop 57/58 was another one of these backroom deals between the Democrats and the Governor. It did not have majority Republican support. It squeaked out only the few votes it needed from a few weak-kneed legislators who bowed to the pressure from the Administration. Let's let them know that we are watching... and they better stand firm!
Dick Ackerman was born at night, but not last night. ...as if they would honor that pledge.
The dumbest part is that if you have 2/3 votes for ANYTHING in the legislature you can do whatever you want. Where is the concession in this deal? The real con game was never practice as such an art, as it is here in Sacramento.
This thing is outrageous! Instead of ANY acknowledgement of the need to limit the regulations to get something built, now they're pumping in new requirements, including paying for contractors to retrofit their construction equipment to limit "greenhouse gases." These people live in some alternative universe (I'm watching the session on TV).
Kuehl: "Deferred Maintenance" is where you actually build something but "Natural Infrastructure" is an important part of life.
UGH!
Ooops... I thought it was live but what I'm watching is a replay from March 8th.
(But they sound just as idiotic, whether real-time or not!)
I'll let you all know here.
Ahh Fabian ... dreamy ...
>>Yeah you sort of startled me there.
It's a blond thing ;-)
>>I'll let you all know here.
Thanks! Appreciate it.
Please attach me to your ping list for notification of the outcome. Thanks.
I haven't had a ping list since November of 2002, but I'll let you know if I hear anything.
Right now spending time trying to resolve William S. Chambers, a railroad switchman/brakeman from Placer, who is the other candidate qualified to run in the Republican gubernatorial primary. He received 609 vites for governor in October 2003.
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