Can new Senate leader bring change to Capital?

Oakland Tribune, Dec 3, 2008 by Steven Harmon

SACRAMENTO -- Maybe the new guy can figure it out.

Freshly sworn-in Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D- Sacramento, is the new guy, and "it" is the dysfunctional Capital, where crises seem the norm and lawmakers' inability to resolve them help perpetuate an endless cycle of frustrations.

The irrepressible and amiable Steinberg barely could contain his enthusiasm as he assumed power this week, talking of grappling with the $28 billion deficit facing the state, achieving universal health care, establishing the world's most aggressive renewable energy standards, completing a water bond and producing an economic stimulus package.

"The message from me is we have to manage the crisis but we also need to think ahead," Steinberg said Monday at his first news conference as Senate leader. "I will work day and night. You know, I'm the guy from Sacramento. I'll be hanging out in my office. I've got no place else to go. I'm ready to talk any time, any place."

With six years remaining to serve as one of the two or three most powerful players in Sacramento, Steinberg could be standing at the brink of a historic epoch in state politics. He is cognizant of the possibilities, observers say, but also aware of the traps that could be lying in wait.

"Darrell's real smart, and he's not an antagonistic person by nature," said Phil Isenberg, a Democratic consultant and former Assemblyman whom Steinberg succeeded in 1998. "That's a compelling characteristic. Darrell's got his ego under control. He doesn't bluster or posture. But he appreciates the fact that a relatively long tenure imposes upon him duties and expectations higher than for others."

Steinberg, who waited 10 months to take the Senate reins after being elected to succeed termed-out Don Perata of Oakland, is hoping to succeed where Perata and others failed: in persuading Republicans to move left on taxes as the state's fiscal crisis threatens to escalate out of control. Officials are predicting that the state will run out of money by late February if the budget is not resolved.

"In the end, the real choice is cuts and revenues," said Steinberg, who was raised in Millbrae, where his parents still live. "We know we have to cut, but no one will cut $28 billion. The only other way to make it up is with revenues. We need to raise revenues in a way that has the least harm to the economy and creates a sustained, ongoing source of revenue."

He said he understands that he will have to make compromises, and that he hopes "old" arguments of labor and the environment versus business do not get in the way. Still, he divulged his liberal leanings when he said he refuses to consider certain GOP proposals, such as eliminating the eight-hour workday and relaxing environmental standards.

That may merely be an opening negotiation tactic subject to later tweaks, said Jack Pitney, a professor of government at Claremont McKenna.

"Even if you're in a mood to compromise, you don't start out by giving away the store," Pitney said. "I'm pretty confident Republicans will have to agree to some kind of revenue measure. There's a chance, given the severity of the situation. But no good thing is certain in Sacramento."

Steinberg hopes to gain the trust of Republicans is in legislative oversight. He has vowed to oversee a top-to-bottom review of government agencies and programs to weed out inefficiencies and wasteful spending. If he can persuade Republicans that his effort is genuine, observers say, maybe they will accept the logic of raising revenues.

"That's what Republicans say they want: transparency and efficiency," said Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord. "If we're willing to give it to them, and we agree with them, that can help. The only doubt is: Is their view genuine? Do they want efficiency, or is it a bankrupt government they want?"

While his predecessors Perata and John Burton were "old-style" machine politicians who had a certain disdain for their Republican counterparts, Steinberg's less acerbic approach may be what the times call for now, said Doug Elmets, a political consultant who has worked with Steinberg.

"At his core, he is a liberal Democrat and he's not going to dramatically change his philosophy to meet" his opponents' demands, Elmets said. "He'll have to figure out a way to bridge the divide between Democrats and Republicans and the governor. The good thing is he's nimble. He's got the respect of Republicans. They may not agree with him philosophically, but they will give him the benefit of the doubt because he's a man of his word."

But, as Steinberg said, none of this is going to be easy.

"There's no choice but to get it done because we're not going to see California go off a cliff," he said. "We're not going to do it. It's not going to happen on my watch. One thing about me. I'm not promising anything except that I'm a grinder. I don't just show up at a meeting and when it falls apart come back in a couple of days. I'll be at this every day."