DEMS SAY THEY'RE READY TO DELIVER PARTY SAYS CALIFORNIA SHORT-CHANGED ON FEDERAL SPENDING.

Byline: LISA FRIEDMAN Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- California Democrats have long accused Republicans of failing to fight for the state's ``fair share'' of federal dollars. Now it's their turn to deliver, and some Democrats are already boasting about how much better they will do.

``We believe that the Democratic Congress is going to be much more sympathetic to California,'' state Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez said Wednesday as he prepared to visit with incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Barbara Boxer.

In Washington to pick up an award for his work on global-warming legislation and to lobby for federal funding, Nunez said the cadre of powerful California House Republicans was unable to overcome opposition to the state from GOP leaders.

``Part of it was to punish the states that don't vote Republican, it seems to me,'' Nunez said. Even Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, he said, ``privately expressed frustration to me about the Republican leadership in Congress not being receptive to California's needs.''

Republicans on Wednesday defended their ability to bring home the bacon for the state.

``We did pretty well,'' said Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Thousand Oaks.

``The facts don't really back up their argument,'' added Jo Maney, spokeswoman for Rep. David Dreier, R-Glendora.

A recent emergency supplemental spending bill alone included $30 million for levy repairs in the state, she said.

``In fact, we have been able to send money back to California,'' Maney said. ``We're interested in working together and improving on our successes.''

Analysts said Democrats are backing themselves into a corner and making promises they might not be able to keep.

One of Democrats' biggest gripes over the past few years has been California's so-called balance of payments -- the 79 cents it gets back in federal spending for every tax dollar its citizens pay.

Many ridiculed Schwarzenegger after the governor dubbed himself ``The Collectionator'' but failed to increase that ratio.

Bruce Cain, director of the University of California's Institute for Governmental Studies, noted that Congress actually has little power over the state's lopsided give for what it gets.

That figure, he and others say, is largely determined by wealth and age. California has a lot of the former, and the wealthy pay larger percentages of their income in taxes; it doesn't have much of the latter, who receive the highest percentage of federal benefits.

For Democrats, Cain said, ``There is a danger of unrealistic expectations. This is going to be a problem for them.

``The issue is, what will be the political consequence of raising expectations?''

Claremont-McKenna College political science professor Jack Pitney agreed that California Democrats won't be able to do much more than Republicans. But he argued they won't face too many consequences.

``They're counting on people not remembering,'' he said. ``It's a pretty abstract issue. I never heard anybody talking about it when I was in line at Ralphs.''

In the meantime, it may be Republicans' turn to bash Democrats for failing to boost spending to the state.

``The spending ratio is to political rhetoric as Elvis is to pop radio,'' said Pitney. ``It will always be there.''

lisa.friedman(at)langnews.com

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