From time to time, FR friend Dan Weintraub, over at the Sacramento Bee, links to something featured on this blog. So, it seems only fair that we return the favor on occasion. Weintraub, considered to be keen thinker on the capitol polical scene, and its juncture with the world of public policy, has taken a stab at why he thinks that no infrastructure plan is on the June ballot. He says:

What went wrong?

By Dan Weintraub from his blog:

With the bond deal dead for June and in danger of not happening at all, Schwarzenegger now risks looking like a hapless governor who can’t get along with Democrats but also can’t depend on his own Republican allies for votes when… Read More

Perhaps to brag, but I’m just about on my way to SDSU’s Cox Arena for Round One of March Madness, FOUR basketball games between 11:40 this morning and 9:00 tonite, so just wanted to get a quickie posted on the 50th before seeing Marquette, UCLA, Illinois and Washington take on their equally impressive opponents. Life’s rough, but at least a defense contractor didn’t buy me my tickets.

Politics can be like the ups and downs of basketball, and the missives and rumors are flying in the Cunningham Replacement Thing. The SD Politics Blog has Alan Uke considering hanging it up, based on the big money spending by Eric Roach and Bill Hauf. If you saw Duane’s post two days ago on the Competitive Edge poll, you know that Uke’s half a mil is only translating into 3.6%, so you understand the Uke concern, if it’s true.

On the other… Read More

Perhaps the saddest commentary on the very sad state of politics in Sacramento comes from Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata. Asked why the Legislature and the Governor couldn’t produce an infrastructure bond for the June ballot, Perata offered this excuse: “We ran out of time.”

Were this the military, there’s be an even simpler, one-word answer: SNAFU. Racing the clock — and failing to beat the clock — is standard operating procedure for the Capitol gang.

From the first moment Governor Schwarzenegger talked about infrastructure in his State of the State to the deadline for the June ballot — roughly 10 weeks — California’s best and brightest couldn’t come up with a plan. But this happens pretty much every year in Sacramento. It’s called the budget, which rarely if ever gets done on time.

Who gets the blame for this latest failure to launch? Pretty much everyone involved. The Governor’s Office didn’t do a terribly effective of prioritizing what came first in terms of the state’s needs — was it levees, or roads? Or maybe both, plus schooIs… Read More

There will be no infrastructure bonds on the June ballot. This is a certainty. But what does that mean?

There are a host of articles linked on the main page today where you can read the ‘spin’ out there from over a dozen different political reporters (or in some cases "teams" of political reporters). I will take a few minutes here and put in my ten cents. Let me first talk about the Governor. Arnold Schwarzenegger has certainly won the debate — there is no question from any corner about the need for California to invest in significant infrastructure needs for the state. The Governor laid out a bold plan last January, and has spent months making a case for this. It’s not too hard a case to make when you spend hours on clogged highways, or see the state of disrepair of many of California’s levees.

So why, with the need so great, and a ‘superstar’ Republican Governor making a very passionate and persuasive case to the people of California about a need for strategic infrastructure growth, did the legislature fail to place anything on the June ballot? After… Read More

There will be no infrastructure bonds on the June ballot. This is a certainty. But what does that mean?

There are a host of articles linked on the main page today where you can read the ‘spin’ out there from over a dozen different political reporters (or in some cases "teams" of political reporters). I will take a few minutes here and put in my ten cents. Let me first talk about the Governor. Arnold Schwarzenegger has certainly won the debate — there is no question from any corner about the need for California to invest in significant infrastructure needs for the state. The Governor laid out a bold plan last January, and has spent months making a case for this. It’s not too hard a case to make when you spend hours on clogged highways, or see the state of disrepair of many of California’s levees.

So why, with the need so great, and a ‘superstar’ Republican Governor making a very passionate and persuasive case to the people of California about a need for strategic infrastructure growth, did the legislature fail to place anything on the June ballot? After… Read More

For those who are curious, on the Assembly side, I got some intel on how GOPers voted:

On the $19.5 Billion Education Bond: Passed 62 – 14 (54 needed to pass). The 14 "no" votes were all Republicans. They were: Bogh, Cogdill, DeVore, Harmon, Haynes, La Malfa, LaSuer, Maze, Mountjoy, Nakanishi, Spitzer, Strickland, Tran, Walters. There was one Republican who was present and did not vote: Mike Villines, who I am told simply felt he did not have enough information on how the bill would impact his district to cast a vote. Any GOPers not mentioned above voted "aye" on this bond.

For the $4.15 Levee Bond: Passed 67-4 (54 needed to pass). The 4 "no" votes were all Republicans. They were: Harman, Haynes, Mountjoy, Strickland. There were two Republicans who were present and did not vote: LaSuer and Maze. Any GOPers not mentioned above voted "aye" on this bond. I spoke with Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (my legislator) who told me that for him, a key point in gaining his support for the levee bond was that it provided for the ability, via a… Read More

I just got off of the telephone with Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman. Ackerman told me that the State Senate tonight unanimously passed a one billion dollar general fund appropriation (that would likely be drawn over several years) for levee repairs, and then ADJOURNED FOR THE NIGHT. This is significant because tonight is the last night for a bond measure to pass the legislature to make the June Ballot. Apparently there were some negative dynamics taking place between the two Democrat Leaders — Senate President Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez.

In the meantime, on the Assembly side, while the Senate was passing their appropriation, the Assembly did pass two sizable bond measures, one on levee repairs and the other on education facilities. Even though they were still in session when the Senate passed the billion dollars for levee repairs, Speaker Nunez chose not to take it up.

Given the critical need for levee repairs, there will now be a lot of pressure on Nunez to call the Assembly into session and pass that appropriation.

UPDATE: I just… Read More

The Governor has made some new appointments. The release is here.

REPUBLICANS

Angela Chi, 51, of Fresno, has been appointed to the Board of Accountancy. Bill Maile, 38, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy press secretary for the Office of the Governor. Cynthia Mitchell, 48, of Folsom, has been appointed to the Contractors State License Board. Robert Petersen, 66, of Saratoga, has been appointed to the Board of Accountancy. Anne Searcy, M.D., 52, of Oakland, has been appointed executive medical director for the Medical Unit of the Division of … Read More