Posted on 08/28/2006 10:32:30 AM PDT by calcowgirl
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's fast-tracked legislation to gain control of Los Angeles area public schools faces a key Senate vote today, just days before the legislative session runs out.
But even as lawmakers race against the clock, nearly all observers say approval has been virtually assured by an intensive lobbying campaign and the nearly unprecedented support of a powerhouse coalition of political leaders.
While few in the Capitol halls say they are publicly willing to discuss - or even acknowledge knowing about - any specific political favors being traded to keep the mayor's legislation moving, most agree the wrangling has been rampant.
Villaraigosa says he has not made any promises in exchange for support, although some legislators see opportunities for leverage as the mayor gambles his political career on the bill.
"Those conversations are inappropriate and did not take place," the mayor said.
But observers note the unspoken pressure of having Assembly Speaker Fabian Nu¤ez, state Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero, Senate President Pro-Tem Don Perata and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger all backing the bill.
"I reserve the right to vote no," Sen. Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento, told Nu¤ez at a recent hearing on the Los Angeles Unified School District legislation. "I understand you are the speaker of the Assembly. I have some very important bills that I hope you will have an equally open mind about as I move through my last two weeks of my career."
Most expected the maneuvering to continue over the weekend after Perata, acknowledging there wasn't enough support to get the bill out of the Senate on Thursday, postponed the vote.
Perata predicted the votes would be there today, when the mayor also plans to be at the Capitol to help shepherd the legislation forward.
Critics who suggest backroom deals are being cut note that maneuvering began as soon as Villaraigosa backed off total mayoral control when it became evident the teachers' unions would not support it.
Amendments to appease various legislators and interest groups followed.
When faced with vocal resistance from Sen. Marta Escutia, D-Norwalk, the bill was amended to give the southeast cities she represents a greater say in the school district. Days later, after previously unanimously opposing the bill, the San Fernando City Council reversed its position to one of support.
Villaraigosa says the amendments were minor fine-tunings. But state Sen. Dean Florez, a Bakersfield Democrat, says the bill has lost its original focus.
"This bill has been diluted completely. When you come to Sacramento, be prepared to compromise," Florez said. "What's unusual is nobody is talking about the kids."
Florez said that on the same day he met with Villaraigosa to talk about the measure, he got word that Los Angeles had filed a lawsuit against Kern County challenging its ban on trucking of L.A.'s treated sewage sludge to the San Joaquin Valley.
Florez, who said the move damaged the mayor's credibility in his eyes, abstained from voting on Villaraigosa's bill when it was in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The pressure has left some lawmakers griping behind closed doors that they're not voting for the bill on its merits, but out of fear of retribution from Villaraigosa and Nu¤ez.
One legislator fumed that the bill is "about muscle, not merit."
In addition to making numerous calls to legislators, Villaraigosa has traveled to Sacramento a half-dozen times to make personal pleas and appearances.
Some of his efforts have been to counter the LAUSD's own political muscle.
"The educational bureaucracy has put up a fight. ... They've thrown everything but the kitchen sink," he said. "Clearly, this is a bureaucracy that will say anything and do anything to stop our efforts at education reform, so they've been formidable."
LAUSD board member David Tokofsky said he has no specifics but believes deals have been made to usher the bill through.
"There are so many ways to sum this up, but it seems to me that fear and muscle are moving things, and personal fights are being subjugated to the power of the leader and the speaker in a way that's not good for government," said Tokofsky.
"From the beginning, you've never been able to find more than three people who say I like this idea: Romero, Nu¤ez and Villaraigosa," said Tokofsky, who was in Sacramento last week to try to persuade lawmakers to oppose the bill.
"The other 116 (lawmakers) have never been enthusiastic about this, but they said the bill is `speakerized' - that they're fearful of what will happen to them - and the leadership is telling them to vote this way or else."
Tokofsky claims Romero openly offered to take his bill amendments.
While Romero said she made the offer, she said it was only for consideration.
"This is what happens in the legislative process. The process of introducing legislation is always open to amendments. You meet with individuals, you take amendments, you offer them, and some are taken and some are not," Romero said.
"It's not about politicking. I have a whole slew of bills, and this is what I do with every one of my bills, but not every one has been on the front page."
While political wheeling and dealing is not unusual, what is different is asking the state to supercede local laws, said Bob Stern, director of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles.
"(Villaraigosa) has three great allies - Speaker Nu¤ez, Gloria Romero in the Senate and the governor. You can't get better than that. If Nu¤ez is saying this is an important bill, then legislators get worried about their important bills. Frankly, I don't think this bill is very important to most legislators, except the L.A. legislators," Stern said.
"I have to give the mayor credit for it, because he's using the state Legislature to accomplish his long-term goals. He was a powerful leader in Sacramento, he's a very powerful guy now, and he can be an even more powerful person in a few years.
"This is the mayor pushing his agenda in the best way he knows how."
'V'
Coming Soon to
voting booths
in 2010
Amazing what passes for a centrista these days
Webster is going to have to rewrite the dictionary for "moderate"
FYI--this just passed in the Senate on a 22-14 vote.
'V' can now become the LA Emperor of schools.
Not bad for a high school dropout raised in Tijuana.
Wow. I thought I was the only Freeper watching the Senate. Did you catch the Mariachi band for Martha Escutia? What a treat.
They keep getting up and playing between speeches honoring Escutia. So wait if you don't see them right away.
http://www.calchannel.com/MEDIA/encode_1.asx
What's most fun about Mayor Vivalaraza is that, in order to govern and to position himself as more 'mainstream' for his future political ambitions, he's now throwing a lot of his original supporters under the bus. And he's an unbelievable self-promoter; don't get between him and a camera or you'll be crushed.
Yeah, I saw it. I think it was Sacramento's soap opera: As The Stomach Turns.
It's pretty sad to see in our own Statehouse. I love mariachis, but that was not the place.
How many hours do they waste on these longwinded tributes to termed-out legislators? I watched the other day and it seemed like hours were wasted for Nell Soto. Today it's Escutia's turn, huh? Don't they have some work to do?
Just one more today. Kevin Murray.
I think they've had about 6 or 7 in the past two weeks, and yes, they take at least an hour.
I tried to get an audio to send over to John and Ken's producer, but no one had digital audio running at the time.
That's good!
Regardless of who he has abandoned, he sure had his supporters presenting for him today. (Romero, Alarcon, Kuehl, Murray, etc) We now have the "Gloria Romero Educational Reform Act of 2006." (aka the Villaraigosa mayoral takeover act).
Jackie Speier voted against it pointing out that now every mayor from every city is going to come forward saying "You did it for Los Angeles, now do it for us," predicting that this move will result in schools across the state moving to mayoral control.
McClintock made a common-sense presentation of why this wouldn't solve anything and could make things worse.
Oh well..
Still no veto of SB 1441, huh?
Murray's comments regarding the LAUSD legislation reminded me of someone. This is pretty much what I heard: "The choice is between change and the status-quo... those are the only two options. If you oppose this proposition, you are voting for retaining the same failing system we have today."
Why did this sound so familiar? lol.
That's a good one!
"Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.""The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it."
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