Posted on 02/06/2007 8:16:41 PM PST by NormsRevenge
Assembly Democrats convened this week for their annual policy retreat, choosing a luxury resort renowned for its world-class golf course in the heart of California's wine country.
Republicans, meanwhile, are holding their annual policy retreat in more modest accommodations in a former Sierra Gold Rush town in Calaveras County. The Murphys Suites charges $95 a night and boasts a coin-operated laundry and a microwave in every room.
Despite the differences in the locations this year, the annual caucus retreats regularly lead to questions about how they are funded and whether corporations and the wealthy are buying influence with state lawmakers.
Breaking from tradition, the Democrats this year will not rely on corporations to pay the tab directly for the event, which began Monday and ends Thursday. Instead, the bill will be split between taxpayers and the political action committee of Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles.
Nunez said media scrutiny in past years distracted from the policy work that goes on behind closed doors.
"I don't mind if I get bad press; I don't want my members to get bad press," Nunez told reporters Tuesday, standing inside the restored 19th century mansion that serves as the Silverado Resort's conference center. "We want the media coverage on this to highlight the great things that we're doing."
California taxpayers will pay for about 50 hotel rooms at a cost of $143 a night per room, or more than $21,000 for the three-night stay.
Nunez's political action committee, which last November received a $4 million check from the California Democratic Party, is paying for lawmakers' meals. That includes breakfast on a covered deck of the Silverado Resort overlooking a golf course and dinners at some of Napa's finest restaurants.
The Assembly Democrats were scheduled to have dinner Tuesday at Copia's restaurant and Wednesday at the Culinary Institute of America.
Neg Wigglesworth, a policy advocate at California's Common Cause, said corporate donors with business before the state indirectly paid for the Democrats' retreat through donations to the Democratic Party and to Nunez.
"A lot of the cash he has in that account came from corporate cash," Wigglesworth said.
While attending the conference, Democrats are giving up their $162 per diem, Nunez spokesman Steve Maviglio said. Lawmakers are given a per diem to cover daily expenses when they are on state business, on top of their $113,097-a-year salary.
Republican caucus spokesman Morgan Crinklaw said meals and expenses for the Assembly Republican retreat were paid by private funds, although he would not provide details. Assembly Minority Leader Mike Villines, R-Clovis, did not return requests for comment Tuesday.
Wigglesworth acknowledged that such retreats can be beneficial.
"It helps to get some perspective away from Sacramento," he said. "Whether that perspective requires going to a country club is uncertain."
Assembly Democrats gave this year's retreat a name change - describing it as a policy summit for lawmakers to exchange ideas about the upcoming session. Lawmakers spent Tuesday in sessions covering health care, the budget, water and climate change.
"With 36 new freshmen coming into the caucus, it really gives us a way to get to know each other in a way you can't in the Capitol with the pressures of your office," said Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys.
While they are considering their agenda, Democrats said they expect to continue their favorable relationship with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. They brushed off the recent release of private recordings in which the governor described some lawmakers as political opportunists.
The governor characterized Nunez, for example, as a passionless political operator who would say one thing behind closed doors and something else in public.
"There is not much passion about specific things that he stands for, or anything like this," Schwarzenegger said in one tape, recorded during a speech-writing session in his office last March. "So for him, it's all like politics."
Nunez said he had a frank discussion with Schwarzenegger last year about the tapes. Portions of them had been downloaded last summer from the governor's Web site by the campaign of his Democratic opponent, former state treasurer Phil Angelides.
He said voters expect the governor and Democrats to work together, citing new poll data that shows the Legislature's standing among voters is more positive than it was when the two sides were at odds.
"We're in very good shape, and it's only getting better," Nunez said during Tuesday's news conference at the resort.
RATs retreat, imagine that?
RAT'treat to Napa .. sounds FRench .. ;-)
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