Posted on 07/21/2004 5:43:32 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Lacking Republican support, a proposed $103 billion state budget failed in the Senate by three votes Wednesday as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger continued to campaign for his own spending plan. The largely symbolic vote came as Schwarzenegger prodded San Diego shoppers and diners to keep pressure on lawmakers and he continued to blame the three week impasse on unions and special interests linked to Democrats. But the governor curbed his harsh partisan rhetoric that peaked over the weekend.
In the Capitol, Democrats attempted to shift responsibility for the holdup to the governor and his fellow Republicans by voting on a budget they said mirrored Schwarzenegger's plan.
"Democrats are not holding up the budget," said Sen. Wes Chesbro, D-Arcata. "We are ready to act."
The bill failed 24 to 11.
Senate Republican leader Dick Ackerman of Irvine called the vote a political drill because negotiations have failed to produce an agreement acceptable by both parties.
Three obstacles remained: local government financing and the repeal or modification of two labor laws.
Lack of progress has sparked partisan flare-ups in recent days after Schwarzenegger called Democrats "girlie men" for not standing up to unions and other special interests.
While the vote failed, an even more symbolic gesture by Senate leader John Burton, D-San Francisco, to lock lawmakers in the chamber until a deal was struck also sputtered. He lifted the order about an hour later when a second attempt failed.
While budget gridlock appeared to capture the Capitol, there were signs negotiations were back on track.
A tentative agreement reached Tuesday appeared to still stand between Schwarzenegger and Assembly leaders to ease a labor law restricting schools from contracting services with private companies.
There were also continuing talks to modify a law allowing workers to sue employers over labor violations.
Schwarzenegger told a few hundred lunchtime diners in San Diego that he was optimistic there would be a breakthrough this week. He backed away from direct attacks on Democrats, but renewed his call for voters to keep the heat on their lawmakers.
"I need your help. I need you to push," Schwarzenegger said. "I need you to call everyday, call your legislators and tell them: Pass the governor's budget or else you're out on Nov. 2, next election day."
Even if agreement is reached on the labor laws, local government financing would remain the final hurdle.
City mayors and county supervisors have agreed to $2.6 billion in cuts over the next two years but only if the governor and the Legislature back a constitutional amendment protecting local funds from future state raids. While there is agreement to protect the tax revenue, there are rival plans for how to do it.
In pushing for a Senate vote, Burton said the labor laws and local government were not spending issues and should not hold up the budget.
Democrats maintained the budget on the Senate floor included all spending items the governor agreed to with one exception - Democrats added $200 million in fees for business and rural landowner. Those fees were originally proposed by Schwarzenegger, but he agreed to remove them after Republicans complained.
Some said the governor's occasional reversal on issues and off-balance style had confused the negotiation process.
"Trying to figure out where the governor is on any issue is like trying to catch a butterfly with a toothpick," said Sen. Richard Alarcon, D-Van Nuys.
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Associated Press Writer Michelle Morgante in San Diego contributed to this report.
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On the Net:
Gov.'s home page: http://www.governor.ca.gov/state/govsite/gov-homepage.jsp
California Senate: http://www.sen.ca.gov/
California Assembly: http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/defaulttext.asp
So Arnold is a butterfly & the dems are 'girlie men'. What a show they put on - just like the movies. Pass the popcorn & coke.
Uh... Dick....
Not letting the other side know what your bottom line is is called "good negotiating".
They need to cut spending to the 1998 levels. We're drowning in massive debt and its another day at the Capitol.
This writer is being painfully disingenuous.
The Democrats want to protect the tax funds that belong to local governments by allowing the legislature to raid the money when it can get enough votes. In other words, they want to protect town's and county's revenue just like the fox protects the chicken coop.
The alternate plan is to make it a violation of the state constitution for the state to take the money.
Mr. Chorneau's insistence that there is agreement to protect the funds reveals the degree to which he has sold his soul to the "government by might" crowd. Where are the writers who believe in freedom?
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