CA: 2006: The year of the odd alliance

Capitol Weekly ^ | 9/21/06 | Shane Goldmacher

[NormsRevenge]

The cast of characters at Monday's press conference was unusual, to say the least.

The participants represented each of the major factions in last year's special election: the drug companies, big-business Schwarzenegger allies and unions.

But this time they were all on the same side. They all opposed Proposition 89, which would create publicly financed campaigns in California.

"It's a murderers' row of political spenders in California," says Common Cause's Ned Wigglesworth, who supports Proposition 89.

If, as the saying goes, politics makes for strange bedfellows, then California's 2006 elections are one giant slumber party.

Held in the twelfth-floor suite of Frank Schubert, a GOP consultant that directed the pharmaceutical industry's $80 million campaign last year, the event was organized by Democrat Gale Kaufman's political shop, which led the union effort against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's special election.

The featured speakers: Schwarzenegger ally Allan Zaremberg, president of the California Chamber of Commerce, and Tim Cremins, a union lobbyist for the Operating Engineers.

The event was typical of the atypical political alliances that have formed this year. Democrats are aligned with Schwarzenegger on the governor's signature bond package. Everybody is supporting Jessica's Law. And unions are dumping millions into the bond campaigns, while girding to launch an independent-expenditure effort to dislodge Schwarzenegger as governor. But nowhere are the strange alliances more apparent than in the campaign against Proposition 89, where business and labor interests that traditionally have been in conflict are now coordinating.

Proponents of publicly financed campaigns say it is just a sign that powerful interest groups are protecting their influence through campaign contributions turf.

"The power and corruption of money in politics is overwhelming," says Rose Ann DeMoro, executive director of the California Nurses Association, which authored the measure.

But Vincent Sollitto, spokesman for the Chamber, says the business-labor alliance "highlights the professionalism of these organizations for their ability to put past conflicts behind.

"Rebuilding California's infrastructure and preventing its political system from being hijacked by a few extreme interests, such as the nurses and the trial lawyers, are things that have united business and labor," says Sollitto.

But the odd coalitions stretch much further than just those campaigns. The Chamber and the California Teachers Association (CTA)--traditional adversaries--are not only teaming up to beat Proposition 89, but also the next ballot measure, Proposition 90, which would limit the right of government to use eminent domain.

In fact, the reliably pro-Democrat CTA and the pro-Republican Chamber are actively supporting seven--a majority--of the same propositions in November. More curiously, the groups are not at odds on a single one.

Both the Chamber and the CTA support all five pieces of Schwarzenegger's infrastructure-bond package, Propositions 1A through 1E.

At the center of many of the year's unusual coalitions is Schwarzenegger, a Republican who has embraced much of the traditional Democratic agenda in 2006, making new friends on the Left and enemies on the Right.

As a result, the state Democratic Party has endorsed eight Schwarzenegger-supported November ballot measures--the same number the Republican Party has endorsed.

Even Phil Angelides, Schwarzenegger's Democratic challenger who has worked to cast himself as the anti-Arnold, supports seven of the same measures as the governor.

Here's a rundown of some of the intriguing alliances of 2006:

Proposition 90: A litany of the state's political players--developers, teachers, business, local government--all are opposing this eminent-domain measure, saying its scope goes well beyond eminent domain. "It's actually very simple," says Yes on 90 spokesman Kevin Spillane. "The opponents are people who make money on eminent domain and exploit the status quo."

At the same time, this is the one ballot measure that Schwarzenegger has yet to take a position on, despite the fact that some analysts say it could have the most far-reaching impact of any November measure. Angelides opposes the measure.

Proposition 84: This environmental bond has split legislative Republicans from big-business backers. The Chamber and Western Growers Association support the measure, but legislative Republicans--often the top boosters of the Chamber's priorities--do not. Of the 44 state officeholders listed by the campaign as endorsers, 43 are Democrats and one is Schwarzenegger. The only other notable Republican to back the measure is San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders.

Proposition 1A-1E: The Schwarzenegger-supported infrastructure-bond package has put the governor on friendly terms with many of the powerful union groups in the state, most notably the building and construction unions, which are dedicating their limited resources to the bond campaign. The teachers union, which spent more than $50 million opposing Schwarzenegger last year, already has invested $5 million in the education bond,

Proposition 1D, at the same time it considers funding an independent expenditure to support Angelides. The bonds also have Schwarzenegger slated to make joint appearances with legislative Democratic leadership in early October--a boost for his bipartisan bona fides--while Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez continues to co-chair Angelides' campaign.

Proposition 83: Both the Democratic and Republican parties--and Angelides and Schwarzenegger--have come together to support Proposition 83, a ballot measure to slap GPS-tracking devices on sex offenders and limit where they can live

Proposition 88: The Democratic and Republican parties are both opposing this $50 parcel tax that would fund smaller classes and school safety in public schools.

The others: For the rest of the ballot, Propositions 85, 86, and 87, coalitions have lined up, more or less, as expected. Republicans are in favor of parental notification before abortions; Democrats are not. Republicans oppose taxes on the oil and tobacco industries, which go to fund alternative energy and health programs; Democrats support them.

[NormsRevenge]

Proposition 90: A litany of the state's political players--developers, teachers, business, local government--all are opposing this eminent-domain measure, saying its scope goes well beyond eminent domain. "It's actually very simple," says Yes on 90 spokesman Kevin Spillane. "The opponents are people who make money on eminent domain and exploit the status quo."

At the same time, this is the one ballot measure that Schwarzenegger has yet to take a position on, despite the fact that some analysts say it could have the most far-reaching impact of any November measure. Angelides opposes the measure.

--

Oddly enough, the CRP will likely not include its own party's endorsement on party campaign literature soon to be hitting mailboxes statewide.

What is the CRP doing on Prop 90?

[calcowgirl]

I thought I'd compare some of the positions.  Quite a strange array.

 

Prop	CA GOP	McClintock	CRA	Chamber	Schwarzenegger	CA Dem	Angelides	CTA
1A	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-
1B	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-
1C	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-
1D	Neutral	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
1E	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-
83	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	-
84	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-
85	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	No	Yes	No
86	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	-
87	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	-
88	No	No	No	No	No	No	TBD	-
89	No	No	No	No	No	-	Yes	No
90	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	TBD	No	TBD	-

 

 

[NormsRevenge]

Cool, Thanks!

[NormsRevenge]

I'm close to the CRA column myself.. probably 1 more No than that

[calcowgirl]

[calcowgirl]

Me too. CRA has it almost right--1A gets a "No" as well.

[CounterCounterCulture]

Thanks for the table. CRA lines the closest with me.

Note: I though Angelides opposed 85

[CounterCounterCulture]

though => thought

[calcowgirl]

Note: I thought Angelides opposed 85

 

You are correct!  Thanks.  That was my mistake in compiling from the various websites.

 

Prop	CA GOP	McClintock	CRA	Chamber	Schwarzenegger	CA Dem	Angelides	CTA
1A	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-
1B	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-
1C	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-
1D	Neutral	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
1E	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-
83	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	-
84	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-
85	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	No	No	No
86	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	-
87	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	-
88	No	No	No	No	No	No	TBD	-
89	No	No	No	No	No	-	Yes	No
90	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	TBD	No	TBD	-

 

 

[tubebender]

-are not only teaming up to beat Proposition 89, but also the next ballot measure, Proposition 90, which would limit the right of government to use eminent domain.

And that is another reason not to support the state or national chamber if you are a small business..

[SierraWasp]

You certainly have ways that illuminate not only the truth, but the big picture that it resides within!!!

I Think YOU are an FR TREASURE!!!

[SierraWasp]

Amen, Bro!!!

[NormsRevenge]

[PRND21]

Valuable post, thanks.

[calcowgirl]

Thanks SW. and Thanks PRND.

You know what they say... a picture is worth a thousand words!

[SierraWasp]

A good FR poster (like you) is worth more than a hundred times that much, plus a whole buncha bandwidth!!!

[Czar]

I thought Tom was only supporting one of the bond propositions, the one dealing with repair of the levees. Your tabulation shows him with a YES on two of those propositions.

[calcowgirl]

The actual bond props are 1B through 1E. 1E is the levee bond which he supports. He also gives tepid support for Prop 1A, the supposed protection of Prop 42 Transportation funds. His words: "Though it’s more window dressing than relief, this measure makes it marginally harder to do so."

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1674107/posts

[Czar]

Sounds like a NO to me.

Thanks, cg.