(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
BIPARTISAN BIG BONDSI know that everyone is expecting me to come out of the chute decrying the BIG BONDS coming down the pike for the November ballot. Fear not, you will hear a lot from me about these packages. I am in the process of studying what is IN them. You know, a process that the State Legislature didn't bother to go through.
I spoke to a lot of legislators (mostly who voted against the bonds, but some voted for one here and there) and they all said the same thing -- they were extremely unhappy with the process. The late night vote, the pressure to vote without a thorough understanding of what it was for which they were voting. I'll be writing more about this as well.
I'm also still trying to figure out how this package passed muster with Assembly Republicans. Was all of the talk in the spring just for show? I will also be trying to analyze exactly how the politics of BIG BONDS is going to play out throughout the summer and fall. For example, today the Governor is touting the bonds with Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, the Democratic candidate for State Attorney General (yeah, there's Delgadillo, but he's more like a speed-bump for Brown). How does it work from here? Where do Republicans fit-in who support the Governor over his Democratic rivals, but very much oppose some or all of the BIPARTISAN BIG BONDS?
Take the Housing Bond component, where just the minimum number of Republicans supported the bill (much to my dismay I must add)... Seems like the BIPARTISAN BIG BONDS fallout is just beginning for the GOP. I'm not saying that the Governor supports Jerry Brown for AG, but it begs the question of how we are going to run a 'contrast campaign' with this bond package being a central theme. Brown's appearance today will not be the only time this comes up.