SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Arnold Schwarzenegger can stir fans to
standing ovations when he talks about his plans for his first 100
days if elected governor, but many of the people who would have to
work with him say the actor is promising more than he can deliver.
Schwarzenegger says he will rescind a newly tripled car tax on
his first day in office, renegotiate state employee union contracts
for cost savings and repeal a law to give driver's licenses to
undocumented immigrants.
``I can kill that tax with my signature alone and I will do
exactly that,'' he said last week to thunderous cheers.
But even normal, two-month government transitions can be fraught
with hard feelings, lack of cooperation and even hijinks. Consider
the most recent shift in Washington, when incoming staffers of
President Bush complained that President Clinton's people had
pulled the ``W'' keys off computers.
If Davis is recalled, the change could be nearly overnight. And
if Schwarzenegger, a Republican, moves in, the transition could be
especially messy as it carries an aggressive agenda into a hostile
capital dominated by Democrats.
The state Department of Finance already reacted to
Schwarzenegger's boast about immediately killing the car tax with
legal arguments saying in short: No way.
Representatives for state employees, Indian tribes and backers
of driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants hold similar
sentiments about Schwarzenegger's agenda. Their resistance
foreshadows the gridlock that could dominate the Capitol if
Schwarzenegger wins Tuesday's election and declares war on
priorities held dear by the Democrat-controlled Legislature.
``I think he's got a little bit to learn. He ought to wait until
he's elected,'' said Senate leader John Burton, a San Francisco
Democrat.
Finance department attorneys have already determined that a
governor alone can't repeal the car tax hike, said spokeswoman
Anita Gore. First, state law must be changed, and that would take a
majority of the Legislature.
State Finance Director Steve Peace triggered the car tax hike in
June, returning the 2 percent tax on vehicle purchase prices to
1998 levels. The move boosted the state treasury by $4.2 billion a
year, money which Schwarzenegger would have to find elsewhere if he
successfully repeals the tax.
``If you do that ... you've just blown a $4.2 billion hole in
the budget,'' said Pat Leary, lobbyist for the California State
Association of Counties.
Likewise, state Sen. Gil Cedillo, the Los Angeles Democrat who
authored the driver's license bill for undocumented immigrants that
becomes law Jan. 1, promised to stop Schwarzenegger's intentions to
repeal it.
``I can guarantee you, he will not be successful,'' Cedillo
said.
Cedillo said Schwarzenegger would have to introduce a new bill
to repeal or change the law, and wouldn't get the votes. Cedillo's
bill cleared the Senate 23-15 on Sept. 4, two days after passing
the Assembly 44-30.
State employees have no intention of supporting Schwarzenegger's
promise to renegotiate their contracts ``to get a better deal for
taxpayers.''
Perry Kenny, president of the 92,000-member California State
Employees Association, said no governor can make unions renegotiate
their contracts. State law requires that the unions must agree to
do it, he said.
Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger's demands that Indian tribes send more
casino money to state coffers targets groups that balked at Davis'
requests this year for $1.5 billion.
``He says he's going to get $2 billion out of the Indians.
What's he going to do that with, a gun?'' Senate leader Burton
said.
``He's been calling them thieves, impugning them on television
and then he's going to get money from them, even though under
federal laws you can't tax them.''
Associated Press Writer Jennifer Coleman in Sacramento
contributed to this report.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)