Looks like we have a bond deal for a $37.3 billion package. They went late…very late into the night to get this deal done. It will go to the voters in the November gubenatorial general election.
The Senate moved the four-piece infrastructure package – $19.925 billion for transportation projects, $10.416 billion for K-12 education and colleges, $4.09 billion for flood protection and $2.85 billion for affordable housing – on separate, two-thirds votes that were completed at 12:30 a.m.
The Assembly followed by approving the same package of bonds, the largest in state history, by 3:30 a.m.(SacBee 5/5/06)
Self-congratulatory comments were being tossed all around. There was even talk of bipartisanship *gasp*.
“It’s nice to get something accomplished,” said state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland. “This is probably the biggest accomplishment certainly I’ve seen in this building in quite awhile, just in terms of our commitment to the future of the state’s economy and its infrastructure.
“It’s also a textbook example of what bipartisanship can look like.”
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“I’ve been up here for 11 years, I’ve been involved in a lot of bonds and bond negotiations, and this probably has one of the best balances among interests that are important to Republicans and interests that are important to Democrats,” said Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman of Irvine. “Somebody asked me earlier who lost and who won. I don’t think either side. If you have a good bond, you can have everybody be winners.”
Well there are some words which you don’t hear bandied about too often in Sacramento. It looks as if in the end, when the Governor cleared out, the Legislators were able to get this done. Yes, I know Arnold will take as much credit as possible, but I think the real credit should go to the legislators who worked tirelessly for several months to get this done for the people of California. Arnold’s grand plan was changed and sculpted by the legislature.
Will he run as the “new Pat Brown”? Yes.
Does he deserve that title? Hell no.