UNION PAC TO BATTLE ARNOLD GROUP CHALLENGES GOVERNOR'S REFORM AGENDA.

Byline: David M. Drucker  Staff Writer

SACRAMENTO - Ten California labor unions announced Tuesday they had formed a political committee that would spend whatever it takes to combat Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's reform agenda.

The group - Seriously, Saving California - plans to push Democrat- friendly initiatives and urge voters not to sign petitions to place Schwarzenegger's proposed constitutional amendments on a special November ballot. The Republican governor has speculated the unions are willing to spend up to $200 million to kill his proposals for political and fiscal reform - a contention a committee spokesman did not dispute.

``We're going to raise as much money as we need,'' said Lou Paulson, whose union, California Professional Firefighters, is a charter member of the committee. ``As working people, we want to make sure the state's headed in the right direction.''

The committee debuted as another round of critical, union-funded radio ads targeted Schwarzenegger's plans to revamp the public employee pension system and restrain government spending. Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger was on the last leg of a trip that included meetings with Bush administration officials in Washington and political fund-raisers in Ohio, New York and the nation's capital.

Schwarzenegger aides said the governor was raising money to ensure he can overcome the barrage of attacks that unions - both in California and nationally - will mount against his attempts to provide 401(k) retirement plans to all new public sector employees as of July 2007, add a spending-cap mechanism to the state budget and pay teachers according to student performance rather than tenure.

``It takes money in order to compete, and what (people) see in the governor is that he is competing on their behalf, trying to push an agenda that is not popular with those here in Sacramento that have been running the government for years,'' Schwarzenegger communications director Rob Stutzman said.

In addition to firefighters, Seriously, Save California includes unions representing teachers, prison guards, school administrators and state employees, as well as the AFL-CIO's California affiliate and the national Service Employees International Union.

One of its primary targets is Citizens to Save California, a committee of business advocates that banded together to push Schwarzenegger's overhaul agenda. Since March 1, the group has held five campaign events featuring the governor and reports raising nearly $2.2 million toward its $13 million goal.

Paulson declined to say how much money Seriously, Saving California plans to raise and did not specify which initiatives it might push.

The group has no position on Schwarzenegger's proposed amendment to take the power to draw legislative and congressional districts away from the Democrat-led Legislature and give it to a panel of retired judges, Paulson said.

Amending the state constitution requires voter approval, whether amendments are placed on the ballot by a two-thirds vote of the Legislature or the signatures of 600,000 registered voters. The governor, frustrated by the slow pace of legislative action on the four overhauls he has recommended, began campaigning last week for signatures to ensure his proposals are voted on this year.

David M. Drucker, [phone]

david.drucker(at)dailybulletin.com

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