Mixed message.

Only in Sacramento can a politician call for a moratorium on new state spending programs in one breath--and then in the next, say he would favor $10 billion in new transportation projects.

That's the mixed message Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez has delivered to the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

Noting the surge in revenues now coming into state coffers, Nunez said the temptation is great for lawmakers to promote their own pet projects.

"People have been approaching me and saying, 'I need X million dollars for this program, or Y million dollars for that program,'" Nunez told the chamber. "I've been telling them that each of their programs sounds good by themselves, but that we need to take a look at the whole spending picture over the next five years or so. We need a lid on all new spending programs until we can get the budget back into balance."

For that reason, he was opposing actor/director Rob Reiner's proposed universal preschool initiative, noting that "It's a worthy goal, but we simply can't afford it fight now."

Barely one minute later, though, Nunez was outlining the need for a massive bond measure for transportation projects, on the order of $10 billion. That's bigger than the $7 billion measure unveiled by Senate President pro-tempore Don Perata.

Why the contradiction on spending? Nunez said that if additional resources do come into state coffers, they should go first to transportation, then to education and finally to health care. "Anything beyond this needs to be set aside until we have a full recovery in our fiscal situation," he said.

Nunez also blasted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan for a special election this fall to have voters consider redistricting, merit pay for teachers and a state spending cap. Opposing the governor's agenda was high on the to-do list of labor leader Miguel Contreras, who died suddenly only hours after Nunez' speech.

"If that special election continues, the divide between the political parties in this state will be permanent, with dire consequences for the economy," Nunez said.