Senate leader says disputes could jeopardize November bond vote

The Press-Enterprise ^ | 03-15-06 | STEVE LAWRENCE

[Amerigomag]

Facing a midnight deadline, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders tried to patch together a deal Wednesday that would put a record $50 billion public works bond measure on the June ballot. The governor's office scheduled and then abruptly canceled a news conference about the negotiations early Wednesday evening as Schwarzenegger and the top four legislative leaders decided to meet behind closed doors.

But the Senate's leader said there was only a "billion to one" chance of an agreement Wednesday night and that sharp partisan differences also could keep a bond measure off the November ballot. "I think the fear right now is if the tenor of this goes on, the contentiousness, it will be very difficult to put a deal together for November," said Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland.

Schwarzenegger's sudden schedule change was indicative of the chaos that has surrounded the negotiations since late last week, when lawmakers faced a Friday deadline to place a bond measure on the June ballot. That deadline has since been extended day by day. On Wednesday, however, the state Department of General Services heightened the urgency to settle the matter. Department Director Ron Joseph said state printers could not guarantee that they could prepare a voter pamphlet on the bond measure in time to get it to voters unless lawmakers approved the proposal by midnight Wednesday.

"At this time, it is the belief of the Office of State Publishing that a supplemental ballot pamphlet that can meet the statutory mailing deadline of May 16 can be produced if the proposals currently under discussion are enacted by midnight tonight," Joseph said in a letter to Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders.

[goldstategop]

Anything is possible but I don't see the Big Five coming to terms by midnight.

(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.")

[Amerigomag]

The tone of the AP article leads readers to believe that June is a foregone conclusion; it's out. AP is now suggesting that the Big Bang Bonds are toast.

Thank Republicans in the legislature.

The Wilsonegger gang, Perata and Nunez blew and blew but they couldn't blow principled conservatives down.

Time to return the gang's Austrian spokesman to Hollywood and hope Wilson and his old cronies finally accept retirement, enjoying pinochle games at the lounge in the Orange County Lincoln Club instead of rapping California in a blanket of Republican sponsored socialism/fascism.

[goldstategop]

Amen. We can support ONE liberal party here. We don't need two and no I don't want the trains to run on time.

(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.")

[NormsRevenge]

Gee, I hope 'Don' PeRATa is still in the Senate come fall.

I hear the FBI has been talking to Oakland City Council members about influence peddling and stuff.

[Cicero]

Why anyone would think that piling up another mountain of debt is what California needs is completely beyond me. Has Gray Davis been forgotten so soon?