EDITORIAL SPINNING PERATA SENATE PRESIDENT DUCKS RESPONSIBILITY FOR 405.IT'S been nearly a month since state Senate President Pro Tem president pro tem n. pl. presidents pro tem Informal A president pro tempore. Don Perata Don Perata (born April 30, 1945) is a California Democratic politician, who is the current President pro tempore of the California State Senate. He was elected to the post of President Pro Tempore in 2004. adjourned the Senate a day early, having failed to take up crucial legislation that would have sped up construction of a car-pool lane on the northbound 405 Freeway through Sepulveda Pass Sepulveda Pass (el. 1130 ft. / 334 m.) is a mountain pass through the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles, California. It is often called Poop-Out Pass, a phrase once used by now-deceased traffic reporter Bill Keene. . Yet nearly a month later, Perata is still trying to spin the issue and deflect responsibility for his failure. Last week, Perata tried to downplay to the whole saga, saying that, even if the Senate had approved the bill, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation (IPA): [ˈaɐ̯nɔlt ˈaloɪ̯s ˈʃvaɐ̯ʦənˌʔɛɡɐ] would have vetoed it. But it's hard to imagine Schwarzenegger vetoing a popular legislation that's crucial to the state's getting $130 million in federal funds Federal Funds Funds deposited to regional Federal Reserve Banks by commercial banks, including funds in excess of reserve requirements. Notes: These non-interest bearing deposits are lent out at the Fed funds rate to other banks unable to meet overnight reserve . Publicly, he's said nothing to suggest that's the case. Schwarzenegger's stated desire was to open the way for all state projects to make use of the ``design-build'' technique, which would speed construction and save money by taking road projects away from public employee unions. This is exactly what was done to get the San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. Valley's Orange Line busway done on time and under budget. But if Perata actually believed the governor would veto the 405 bill, why did he close down the Senate without voting on it when he could have embarrassed Schwarzenegger into vetoing such sensible legislation? Perata now says the Senate will pass the bill when it reconvenes in January. If so, we'll then get to see whether his predicted gubernatorial veto actually materializes. Somehow we doubt it. Design-build's strongest opponents are public-employee unions - not exactly Schwarzenegger's best friends. Given the experience with design-build on the busway, the process deserves to be tested on the 405, where getting the HOV lane HOV lane n. An expressway lane restricted to vehicles with at least a set minimum of occupants, usually two. completed faster and cheaper is clearly in the public interest. Instead of trying to blame Schwarzenegger, Perata and his ilk ought to start taking responsibility for their actions and get to work serving the public that employs them rather than the special interests that use them. No amount of spin is going to change that. |
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