Is Sen. Darrell Steinberg ready to be Senate leader? Is he willing to be bold? Is he ready to buck his party's threatened override of the governor's veto and seek a more responsible resolution of the budget impasse?
By that same token, is Assemblyman Roger Niello truly a fiscal conservative? Does this Republican from Fair Oaks believe in balanced budgets? If so, will he use his position as budget adviser to Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines to seek a budget that is reasonably balanced?
These questions are part of the horrible intrigue that surrounds the showdown between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature.
The governor has pledged to veto a reckless and dishonest spending plan that lawmakers approved Tuesday. In turn, legislative leaders in both parties are vowing to override Schwarzenegger's veto nearly as soon as it is official. If that happens, the governor is threatening to veto "hundreds of bills" that lawmakers have sent him, wiping out a year's worth of work.
For his part, Steinberg risks losing Senate Bill 375, a carefully crafted deal to advance regional planning and reduce transportation pollution.
"If the governor wants to veto a bill that's unrelated to the budget and essential to his environmental legacy, that's his choice," Steinberg said.
So let's get this straight: Steinberg, in order to maintain his relationship with the legislative hierarchy, is willing to throw away a landmark environmental bill, supported by a broad base of constituencies, to support a sneaky and fiscally unsustainable budget that is liked by almost no one?
And let's take a refresher course on this budget: It would effectively force working people to give interest-free loans to the state by increasing income tax withholding by 10 percent. Lawmakers say that any overpayments would be paid back later when taxpayers file for refunds. But that's a shady practice that would make the fast-buck financiers on Wall Street proud.
For his part, Assemblyman Niello is highly concerned about how the budget impasse has cut off state payments to homes that care for the developmentally disabled. If that is the case, why would he vote for a budget that makes it more likely that such care centers will face actual cuts, not just a delay in payments, next year?
Legislators need to get the message: Californians hate this proposed budget. They may not uniformly love the governor's alternative – a combination of cuts and a 1-cent sales tax increase – but that's better than a 10 percent tax increase effective Jan. 1 and a deficit next year that repeats this nightmare.
Call Steinberg, Niello and other local legislators and urge them to work with the governor on a compromise.
WHO TO CALL
Sacramento region's legislators
Assembly
• District 4: Ted Gaines, (916) 319-2004
• District 5: Roger Niello, (916) 319-2005
• District 8: Lois Wolk, (916) 319-2008
• District 9: Dave Jones, (916) 319-2009
• District 10: Alan Nakanishi, (916) 319-2010
Senate
• District 1: Dave Cox, (916) 651-4001
• District 4: Sam Aanestad, (916) 651-4004
• District 5: Mike Machado, (916) 651-4005
• District 6: Darrell Steinberg, (916) 651-4006
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