Posted on 01/29/2006 1:46:35 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger can't say his public works bond proposals aren't getting thorough consideration by the Legislature. Whether he'll like the final product is another question.
Legislative committees held nine hearings last week on various aspects of Schwarzenegger's plan, which includes selling $68 billion in bonds to help pay for transportation improvements, water and flood control projects, new schools, courthouses and certain other facilities.
There are another 11 hearings scheduled this week, including the first meeting of a two-house conference committee that will try to put together a bond package for voters to consider, possibly in the June primary.
"We're doing our due diligence," said Alicia Dlugosh, a spokeswoman for Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland.
But what comes out of conference may not look much like what the Republican governor proposed.
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, said last week that he thought Schwarzenegger wanted to sell too much in bonds, and Assembly Republicans are pushing pay-as-you-go legislation that would earmark a percentage of annual state revenue for public works, a step they say would reduce the state's need to borrow by selling bonds.
Also, Schwarzenegger's proposals, which administration officials acknowledge would virtually tie up the state's ability to sell bonds over the next 10 years, are in competition with measures that would authorize bonds for housing, hospital earthquake upgrades, parks, wildlife habitat, high-speed rail and other proposals championed by lawmakers.
Lawmakers need to reach an agreement by March 10 to get bond measures on the June ballot. They face a closer deadline this week on dozens of other bills that were introduced last year. Those measures need to get out of their first house by Tuesday to have a chance to become law.
Among the approximately 50 bills facing the Tuesday deadline are measures that would require the wealthy to pay more income taxes, impose a windfall profits tax on oil companies, regulate patients' deductibles and co-payments in health insurance plans and allow public financing of campaigns for state offices.
But they probably don't have as many big buck donors in the high finance realm and developers and construction industries as the Gub.
Just one independent conservative's opinion.
Assembly Republicans are pushing pay-as-you-go legislation that would earmark a percentage of annual state revenue for public works, a step they say would reduce the state's need to borrow by selling bonds.
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Anybody listening?
Not irony, but patience, a keen political sense and exquisite timing.
The neoliberals in the Wilsonegger gang and the New Majority waited patiently until the moment was just right and then they struck with lightning speed. Their patience and experienced timing paid off. They mowed down both the California Democrat Party and the California Republican Party in just 60 days.
Had they fronted for their Austrian pretender in May, when support for the recall caught fire, instead of strategically waiting until August, the CAGOP would have had time to investigate and their finely polished charade would have been unmasked.
I'll buy that analysis, Thanks!
Correction. The Assembly Minority Leader, Kevin McCarthy (R), known associate of the Wilsonegger gang, is pushing for more spending, revenue bonds and formula driven, budget considerations. The big, exclusive, autopilot is the gang's friend.
It's accurate. The assumptions were based or reliable sources.
There is even a report from a member of the gang that in late April, Roland Arnall, learning that Issa was about to finance the recall petition process, ordered the doors to the lounge at the OC Lincoln Club be locked until August to prevent members of the gang from escaping and spilling the beans too early. :)
NOOOooo.. Oh, My!
This just gets uglier and uglier.
Arnall of AmeriQuest "fame"?.. tsk tsk.. well, at least he's an equal opportunity stick-it-tooer. ;-)
No, it simply reinforces the wisdom of Santayana's warning.
There's an unconfirmed rumor floating around 9th Street that Kennedy demanded and got, a retainer for Davis as a fund raising consultant, right off the top of the fund raising commissions allocated to her office.
The source further indicates that Davis is assigned to the Silicon Valley campaign. Kennedy has apparently tasked him to camp out at Oracle headquaters and attempt to bring Ellison back into the fold. :)
Oh my!
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