Posted on 02/09/2006 8:36:22 PM PST by calcowgirl
SACRAMENTO - Ramping up his push to rebuild antiquated schools, roads and levees, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger insisted Wednesday that whittling his decade-long, $222 billion infrastructure plan down to just one year would be "unacceptable."
Some powerful lawmakers, staggered by the duration and size of the proposed plan, have been suggesting just that. In a 45-minute interview Wednesday evening with Knight Ridder, Schwarzenegger said he is willing to entertain many proposed additions and changes to his plan -- but not that one.
"Sometimes you hear the rumbling that maybe they'll come down with a one-year plan or something like that," he said, referring to lawmakers. "It will be unacceptable. It's not the way to go. ... You cannot fix the road conditions with a one-year plan." Nor, he said, can crammed classrooms, vulnerable levees and over-crowded prisons be resolved "with a one-year deal."
It is a message Schwarzenegger is expected to reiterate in San Jose this afternoon, when he addresses business groups at the Tech Museum of Innovation.
Sitting at a massive, wooden conference table in his inner suite of Capitol offices, Schwarzenegger said he believes lawmakers are coming around to his long-term vision: thinking big and being "daring."
One of the legislature's top two Democrats is willing to entertain a longer-term plan, but perhaps not the five election cycles of borrowing Schwarzenegger wants. "We would prefer it to be no more than two election cycles," said Steve Maviglio, a spokesman for Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles.
In a wide-ranging discussion, the governor also asserted that he wants to work out a multiyear plan to repay schools a $3 billion debt, a longstanding source of controversy.
"Does the state of California owe them the additional $3 billion or whatever it is? Of course, that's the way Proposition 98 is written," Schwarzenegger said, referring to the state's school funding guarantee. "Our dispute was never should they get the money or not. I promised them the money." The disagreement, he said, was over when the money would be returned.
California Teachers Association President Barbara Kerr on Wednesday night said she was flabbergasted by the governor's acknowledgment that the state owes schools the money.
"I'm sort of at a loss for words," she said in a phone interview from Washington, D.C. "I'm glad that after this amount of time we're moving forward."
The governor also defended having his new chief of staff, Susan Kennedy, meet with potential donors and accept payments from his campaign kitty above her state salary -- a practice that some government insiders and watchdogs find unseemly. Schwarzenegger said he needs Kennedy to coordinate his dual lives -- policy and politics -- and that doing so does not present a conflict of interest.
"Because she works the extra hours, she should be paid for it," the governor said. "I made that decision when it came up, and it was perfectly fine with me."
When Kennedy met with business leaders, it was not a fund-raising solicitation, Schwarzenegger said, but "more like a tour of business leaders."
"She was not asking anyone for money," he said. "She did not ask anyone to go and vote for me or anything like that."
Schwarzenegger, who has been dogged by criticism of his astronomical fund-raising, also reiterated that he favors some form of campaign finance reform. But he hinted that he had become disillusioned that reforms could be a silver bullet to keep lawmakers honest.
"You can reform as much as you want because it's all really about the will," the governor said. "There are 5,000 ways around it, as you can see every day. ... Can you be bought or not, that's really the question."
Schwarzenegger declined to comment directly on a bill that aims to loosen the grip of special interests by publicly funding state campaigns.
Facing an uncertain re-election this year, Schwarzenegger has made building his primary theme, proposing perhaps the state's biggest-ever borrowing plan to rebuild the infrastructure. If the plan sticks, it would be his most tangible accomplishment as governor.
The governor's plan calls for $68 billion in voter-approved borrowing over the next five election cycles, bonds that would be repaid from the state's general fund over many years.
In the Bay Area, the funds could boost long-delayed projects such as widening Highway 101 from Morgan Hill to the San Benito County line and adding a northbound carpool lane on Interstate 680 from Milpitas to Pleasanton.
The plan is almost certain to change significantly before it lands on the June or November ballot. In early hearings, legislators from both parties, whose cooperation Schwarzenegger needs to place anything on the ballot, have raised numerous concerns about the concept.
In a conference call earlier Wednesday with business reporters, Schwarzenegger said he was happy that legislators are focused on some kind of rebuilding effort.
"Even though it's not always a very glamorous subject to talk about, or a very sexy subject to talk about," he said, "it's amazing the kind of sizzle it's created."
Bump for the (toll) road to deeper and deeper debt paved with good intentions. ;-).
Ever seen any two dumber factions than this. Does AS have any idea of politics? These commies just keep taking him for a roll & he has NO idea of what is happening. There are no words to describe this Kalifornia political disaster.
I liked the part about Barbara Kerr being at "a loss for words."
I don't believe it. LOL.
A Trojan Horse does not have a brain, that is why he has worked out so well for the left to date.
They are patient and will keep him around because in the end, they are getting what they want and his handlers, the
New Majorityites and Vichy Republicans along with the demRats know a good thing when they see it.
I can think of only one: "Predictable"
And not even surprising!!!
Yet we are tormented with the deluded who "feel" we should somehow support the continuation of "this Kalifornia political disaster, just because Tom McClintock now insists it should be our only choice! Balderdash!!!
Why should we buy that old Jerry Brown 1957 Plymouth idea? Here we are coming out of two consecutive disasters of Governorships, an economic collapse and a contorted collapse of our whole energy distribution system...
And NOW! All of a sudden... Since the Governor had a political set-back... We have to hock the crown jewels to rebuild everything when we can't because all the hockings will be squandered on EnvironMental Impact Reports, EnvironMental studies ad nauseum and EnvironMental Litigation till the happy cows come home from making California Cheese!!!
Good Lord have mercy!!!
Not true. I found words in December 2000. The words were "see ya later". The coldest winter day in Idaho is superior to a warm, sunny California day under the shadow of raving commies in Sacramento.
We hocked those a long time ago. We have since moved on to the family jewels. Few if any of those seem to exist anymore.
It's the old rock and the hard place. Since they changed the rules and endorsed Arnold early, there is no viable alternative candidate sitting in the wings. Even if they pulled the endorsement and there was a primary, campaign finance rules now limit individual contributions such that the GOP holds the real purse strings. Parksy screwed McClintock before and would probably screw any other conservative that stepped up to the plate.
There simply is no good short term solution, IMO.
But it's for the childrun, ya know?
Ouch! (but how true!)
The election can't come soon enough. I will vote for a dem if he is running.
That's why I'm already thinking and looking ahead four more years!!!
I'd say getting rid of Parsky and Sundheim would be a good start.
Sure there is - screw the GOP.
Just Say No when they come begging for money and votes. Otherwise, you're the battered spouse that won't leave. You keep on caving to their crap, they'll take it as a sign that "crap is good enough".
It is getting worse too!
I didn't vote for the Governor, but I respected him...until now.
We have somehow managed to elect to office an even bigger disaster than Gray Davis.
We can't possibly get rid of this jackass fast enough.
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