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Governor’s Impotence Revealed As G.O.P. Senators Torpedo Bond Agreement. No Republican Votes For Schwarzenegger-Perata Water Plan.
By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento
The G.O.P. obstructionists have struck again. A tentative agreement between Democratic leader, Senate Pro Tem Don Perata, and the Governor on a bond issue designed to protect both the San Joaquin Delta and transfers of water South has been blown up by Republicans in the Senate.
The Republican Senators want to add the contentious issue of a peripheral canal to the package. They also want the bond money appropriated “continuously” as opposed to through the budget in the manner of all other appropriations.
Both objections aren’t serious. They are simply another effort to punish the Governor for his neglect of the members of his party.
Petty politics and peevishness submarine important public policy goals – again!
Why not make all appropriations “continuous”? Republicans would oppose that because it would deny them the ability to get publicity by holding up the budget which requires at least two Republican votes in the Senate. They want bond money for storage to be continuously appointed because they fear Democrats would act in the same obstructionist way they act.
But Democrats are not obstructionist.
In 1996, with Speaker Pringle and the Republicans in control of the Assembly, Democrats responsibly added the votes needed to achieve the constitutionally mandated 2/3 without the use of extortion or grandstanding. Democrats acted responsibly as the minority party, biding their time until the next election.
Republicans, by contrast, have consistently attempted to “cash in loser’s tickets at the winner’s window” (in the words of the late Speaker, Jesse Marvin Unruh).
Arguments that the “canal” should be included in the water compromise package are transparently nothing more than grandstanding. Senator Perata is supposed to agree to a proposal that was dissed by the voters of his district 95-5? Perhaps the Democrats should add a codicil that requires use of the bond money to build shelters for homeless undocumented aliens in Newport Beach?
Agreeing to above ground storage in order to gain protection for the Delta is a compromise that would not benefit Senator Perata with traditional environmental allies. It would have been a hard sell to the Assembly Democrats. Governor Schwarzenegger’s unwillingness or inability to convince only two Republicans demonstrate how little value there is in negotiating unilaterally with him.
The Governor talks big, but like his Republican allies in the Senate, his only real authority is his ability to obstruct (with the veto).
Bill Cavala was Deputy Director of the Assembly Speaker’s Office of Member Services where he worked for over 30 years.
He attended undergraduate and graduate school in the 1960’s and received a doctorate in political science at UC Berkeley. He taught political science at UC Berkeley during the 1970's while he worked part-time for the State Assembly.
Cavala left teaching at UC Berkeley and went to work for Assembly Speaker Willie Brown in 1981 until his tenure as Speaker ended in 1995, and he has worked for his five successors as Speaker up to and including Speaker Fabian Nunez.
Mr. Cavala manages election campaigns for Democratic candidates.
Comments
Maybe it's just as well that the water bond deal died. See -----
http://www.friendsoftheriver.org/site/PageServer?pagename=FORDamLiesArticle
and decide fr yourself whether the new dams are needed for either water supply or to "fix" the Delta
Posted by: SamR at November 23, 2007 09:18 AM
Attention Politicians ! You better pray to God nothing serious happens to California while you fiddle!
California needs WATER INSURANCE !
It costs California ZERO to INVESTIGATE a new fresh water Source that will provide ONE MILLION acre feet a year.
In the event of severe drought or earthquake, an additional alternative supply could save the Delta, thousands of lives and billions in financial losses.
Development of the Source is environmentally and economically feasible and most importantly will not damage the water rights of anyone, anywhere !
Conservation is terrific, but at some point, it will not be enough regardless of the price.
INSURANCE is necessary when it is impractical to suffer a particular loss.
California must obtain WATER INSURANCE before the crisis, not after it occurs !
A new Source of ONE MILLION acre feet to insure filling of the new reservoirs is also good INSURANCE.
Complete details of the various aspects of the Source are available upon request.
Ray Walker (Retired Water Rights Analyst) waterrdw@yahoo.com
Posted by: Ray Walker at November 23, 2007 01:36 PM
Can anyone else hear a busted quacking from the horseshoe?
Posted by: Bob Brigham at November 23, 2007 03:35 PM
Unfortunately planning ahead is not the strong suit of most citizens. Closing the barn door after the cow gets out is the usual response. In politics it is the same but the price triples because of poor planning.
I agree with Ray. I have seen drought in California and we now have quadrupled in population. Water is the one most important natural resource that we need to survive. Our politicians better acquire more water and soon.
Posted by: Morris1 at November 24, 2007 09:34 AM
This is just the state budget debacle all over again. The California GOP really died years ago, and won't have the good grace to remove its own stinking corpse from Sacramento until and unless Californians as a voting population develop the energy to vote the last of the obstructionists into obscurity. Dump them all. Start with Jeff Denham!
Posted by: Ralphie at November 25, 2007 09:33 AM
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