Governor must build trust with lawmakers, refocus on key issues

This piece originally appeared in the Sacramento Bee. 

The 2003 recall that propelled Arnold Schwarzenegger into office was billed as the pinnacle of voter frustration with their state government. Californians were fed up with a bureaucracy they felt was bloated, unresponsive and for that matter, even unable to keep on the lights.

But for all the simplistic campaign promises to be the Un-Gray Davis, Schwarzenegger finds himself entangled in much the same mess as the governor he replaced.

Billion-dollar deficits – and the gridlock over resolving them – have made the state a worldwide fiscal laughingstock. A seemingly endless string of unproductive special elections has tired the electorate and empowered the very special interests Schwarzenegger promised to sweep from the state capital. Distrust in government is at record levels. And while there's plenty of electricity, there is a shortage of another critical resource that is crippling the state's economy: water.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Schwarzenegger can salvage the final year of his governorship, but it will take some changes. Here's what should top his to-do list:

Build trust with voters and lawmakers. In six years, Schwarzenegger has been on just about every side of every issue. He's raised taxes and lowered taxes. He's anti-Proposition 8 but vetoed gay marriage legislation. He pledged to put solar panels on 1 million roofs but vetoed the nation's most ambitious renewable energy standards. While there's no time for an extreme makeover, the governor needs to stand firm on a set of core values so voters get a sense of what he stands for. Children's health care, global warming and water conservation are three good starting points. The governor should make these his priorities, protecting them from political and budgetary assaults.

Make peace with the Legislature. The governor has graced the cover of Newsweek and hobnobbed with Tony Blair and President Barack Obama. But he has failed to win the respect of lawmakers who work in the same building. From the early days of name-calling (remember "girlie men"?) to this month's threat to veto every bill that reached his desk, Schwarzenegger's finger-pointing has led to constant strained relationships with lawmakers of both political parties. His attempted end runs around the Legislature also have been dismal failures, from bungled ballot measures to streams of meaningless executive orders. Schwarzenegger needs to understand that the road to any legacy runs through the Legislature.

In 2006, he was joined at the hip with then-Speaker Fabian Nuñez and got big things done: raising the minimum wage, pioneering global warming legislation and signing landmark legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs. That can happen again. The Assembly will have two new leaders at some point next year, and Sen. Darrell Steinberg is a winnable ally. If the governor treats these leaders and the rest of the Legislature with respect instead of contempt, his fortunes could change instantly.

Focus on one issue – government reform – and do it right. There's no shortage of ideas being tossed around to increase transparency and accountability that state government has desperately needed for more than two decades. But there is little focus to these efforts, and ideological battle lines are being drawn. In his last year, Schwarzenegger has the potential to effectively use his bully pulpit to lead the charge for repeal of the two measures that have the most impact on the state's budget process and snarled his efforts for balanced, on-time budgets: the two-thirds majority vote thresholds to approve the state budget and to increase revenues. The governor has an effective "outside game" that could rally support from centrist quarters that will be needed to wipe away these restraints on fiscal responsibility.

Appointments will leave a legacy. Although Schwarzenegger will be turning over the keys to his "horseshoe" office next year, the legacy of a governorship lives on in appointments, some of which will last for six years beyond his term. The most crucial appointment the governor will make will be to name his understudy as lieutenant governor – if the current lieutenant governor, John Garamendi, wins his Congressional race next month. Used effectively – like Obama has used Vice President Joe Biden – his No. 2 can be a strong partner and promoter of the administration's agenda in its last year. Forget using the appointment as a political plum: the governor should tap someone he trusts to help carry the policy ball across the goal line.

Schwarzenegger gets along royally with former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg, whose work with California Forward on government reforms makes him an ideal match, particularly given his insight and relationships with the business community, Los Angeles progressives and the Legislature. Beyond that, Schwarzenegger will make hundreds more appointments to boards, commissions and the bench. The governor should make a bold effort to attract the state's best and brightest to public service.

End the war on organized labor. To his support of the "paycheck protection" and pension reform initiatives in 2005 to his current battles with state workers, Schwarzenegger has continually run into a buzz saw with the state's powerful labor unions. It's time for an armistice. The governor and Legislature face another round of billion-dollar shortfalls in the state budget, and cooperation to find common ground is essential. Sugar catches more flies than vinegar.

Roll up your sleeves. A workhorse beats a show horse every time. Yet Schwarzenegger has failed to learn that governing means more than holding press conferences. The governor should put his smoking tent to good use, spend quality time in Sacramento, and build more direct relationships with lawmakers and state leaders while making sure his senior staff spends their last days pursing the best interests of the state instead of their own.

The clock is ticking.

Steve Maviglio is the principal of Forza Communications, a Sacramento-based Democratic consulting firm. He was the former press secretary to Gov. Gray Davis and deputy chief of staff to Speakers Karen Bass and Fabian Nuñez. He now advises the California Democratic Party, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and the Environmental Defense Fund.

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