Beware the insurgency
Governor may find he can't always pick his battles

By Timm Herdt
Ventura County Star
March 2, 2005

At precisely the same time Tuesday that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was sending out his signature-gathering infantry for the ballot-box war he seeks to wage in the fall, an Assembly committee was moving along what could become a weapon of choice for the insurgency against him.

On a party-line vote, Democrats on the Assembly Judiciary Committee approved a new version of a consumer-protection bill that Schwarzenegger vetoed last year -- a measure backers call "The Car Buyers' Bill of Rights."

Among other things, the bill would establish a three-day "cooling off" period in which a buyer could return a car, set standards for what would qualify as a "certified" used car and regulate what supporters say are abuses in auto financing.

As you might imagine, if you've ever bought a car, the bill enjoys immense -- if probably reflexive -- public support.

Assemblywoman Cindy Montanez, D-San Fernando, the bill's author, said polling done last year showed 80 percent support. The demographic group least likely to back the idea, she said, was Republican men -- and 70 percent of them thought it was a good idea.

Last year's bill was passionately opposed by the state's auto dealers, including those whose financial contributions had helped pump up Schwarzenegger during the recall election because of his promise to roll back the vehicle license fee.

In the end, Schwarzenegger sided with the car dealers and vetoed the bill. But he parsed his veto message carefully, insisting "protection of California consumers is of paramount concern."

He suggested that if lawmakers clarified some of the terms and tightened up the language he would reconsider this year.

He may not have the chance. Some Democrats believe this is something they could take directly to voters -- and reap a tactical political advantage in the process.

Schwarzenegger is backing four measures that to ordinary voters are arcane at best. Restructuring public employee pensions, redrawing political boundary lines, recalculating the way schoolteachers are paid and enacting a complex formula to limit state spending are not exactly things discussed at most family get-togethers.

Californians do talk about their cars, however, and about their experiences buying them.

Not many people stay up at night worrying about state spending formulas. Folks do, however, lose sleep worrying about how to make the next car payment or how to replace the family car that's worth less than what they owe on it.

Schwarzenegger said Tuesday the ballot-box war he will wage "is not my fight .... This is the people's fight."

If that's the case, Democratic insurgents would like to argue, where was the governor last year when he had the chance to fight for consumers' rights?

Some Democrats have also floated the idea of putting an increase in the minimum wage before voters in the fall.

That, too, is an idea that polls well with the public but is vigorously opposed by business interests -- and when given the chance to choose last year, Schwarzenegger vetoed an increase in the minimum wage.

Some Democrats would like to ask at election time, for whom was the self-proclaimed "people's governor" fighting when he vetoed that?

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez fumed on Tuesday: "It's hypocritical to say you want to implement the people's agenda, but you're doing it with money from corporate interests."

To be sure, there are disagreements among Democrats over how best to fight Schwarzenegger's proposed "reforms." Finding the right strategy is complicated by the financial calculus because Schwarzenegger has vowed to raise $50 million for the campaign.

Indeed, he is scheduled to head to the East Coast later this week on a fund-raising tour to collect out-of-state money to help wage his California fight.

Democrats know that public employee unions -- both here and nationally -- will spend generously to attempt to defeat any plan to take away pensions.

There may be precious little money left over to try to wage an offensive battle as well as a defensive one.

Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, counseled Tuesday against putting other measures on the ballot.

"We're not going to war on the initiatives," he said. "We don't have the resources to do that. My own view is that you take four really bad ideas and you defeat them on their merits."

Either way, that Car Buyers' Bill of Rights is again moving through the Legislature. If there is an election in November, Democrats at the very least will dare Schwarzenegger to again veto that proposal in September.