Political attestant says Capitol makeup is election’s harvest
By Todd R. Hansen From
page A3 | October 21, 2016
FAIRFIELD — Dan Walters, the dean of
political writers in Sacramento, said the Bay Delta tunnels are dead,
redevelopment is alive and the lasting effect of the Nov. 8 election will
be how many “BDs” survive the voters.
Walters said the so-called “Mod
Squad,” or business-friendly moderate Democrats, have changed the political
dynamic of how things get done at the Capitol.
“But they only have power if they
have a balance of power between the Democrats and the Republicans,” said
Walters, a widely syndicated columnist for The Sacramento Bee who was the
speaker at the Solano Economic Development Corporation’s breakfast on Thursday
morning.
That political balance, he said, is
at stake during the election.
Walters said the
ageless struggle of the business interests trying to beat back the annual
agenda of the big-four liberal interests – labor unions, environmentalists,
trial lawyers and consumer advocates – took a dramatic change when those
employer groups changed their election strategy.
Instead of trying to put up
conservative Republicans in a losing effort to regain legislative control, they
began to support more moderate “business Democrats.”
Aided by the election change that
sends the top two vote-getters from the primary to the general election, rather
than the top Democrat and the top Republican, it allowed moderate Democrats to
challenge more liberal party members for the same seat.
In fact, Walters said he would not
be surprised if Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom faced another Democrat for the governor’s
office in the 2018 general election.
“It allows the business community to
play in Democratic politics,” Walters said.
He pointed to state Sen. Steve
Glazer as an example in Contra Costa County and “we might see another one here
with Mr. (Bill) Dodd.”
Assemblyman Dodd, a former
Republican turned Democrat, is seeking the 3rd Senate District seat. He is
challenged by former Democratic Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada, who admits she
sits more to the left on the political spectrum than Dodd.
Dodd, who attended the
breakfast event, said afterward that he is, in fact, one of the BDs,
but prefers to view himself as an independent.
“I think it is a pretty high-level
analysis of what is going on,” Dodd said of Walters’ presentation, “but I think
most of the people who I represent are more moderate.”
The problem the business community
has this year is there is no pressing reason for Republicans to go to the polls
and vote.
“There is nothing on the ballot to
make Republicans turn out,” said Walters, who noted that the presidential
election traditionally brings more voters out, but largely more Democrats.
He said Republicans know Hillary
Clinton is going to carry the state, and with no singular ballot measure
to motivate them, the election could see the Democrats gaining more seats in
the state Assembly and the Senate.
That would lessen the strength of
the business Democrats who need Republicans to help carry their agenda.
“It will be a high turnout election,
but it will be skewed even more toward Democrats,” Walters said.
He also suggested that if Democrats
regain control of the U.S. Senate, Sen. Dianne Feinstein may retire, though she
has said she plans to run again in 2018.
Asked about Gov. Jerry Brown’s
two-tunnel plan for the California Delta, Walters said the proposal seems to
have very difficult environmental, legal and financial impediments and is
likely dead.
“Part of the reason is the drought,”
Walters said. “You would think it would make it more likely, but in fact, it
has made is less likely.”
He spoke of the efforts of
Southern California water interests to develop more surface storage as well as
San Diego constructing a desalination plant, so the need for a more reliable
water source is not as great. Those urban interests are not willing to spend
the money for the twin-tunnels project while so many other interests –
including the environment and farming – get such a large part of the benefits.
“I think even the governor has
backed off of it. He does not talk about it much anymore,” Walters said.
Asked about whether California will
bring back redevelopment when Brown leaves office, Walters said: “Redevelopment
is back. Didn’t you notice?”
Walters spoke of several pieces
of legislation that have enabled specific municipalities to do what
redevelopment allowed, but without the shift of school funding.
Reach Todd R. Hansen at 427-6932 or thansen@dailyrepublic.net.
---------------------------
Backroom power story sets event’s tone
By Todd R. Hansen From
page A3 | October 21, 2016
FAIRFIELD — Solano County Supervisor
Erin Hannigan felt a surge of pride Thursday as longtime political columnist
Dan Walters set the tone of his presentation with a story about her father.
“You never really see a bill. What
you see is a concept that floats around the Capitol looking for a home,”
Walters said as he began to recount a story from 30-plus years ago.
It was a story about how
the Sunset Scavenger firm wanted to build a landfill in the American River
canyon, but needed legislative help to get past the environmental hurdles.
Willie Brown, who had worked as an
attorney for the company in some capacity, agreed to find someone who
would author the bill. That is when Tom Hannigan was introduced to the
narrative.
“He was kind of a no-nonsense kind
of guy,” Walters said of Hannigan, a Vietnam veteran and a veteran of the
political wars as well.
“He went up to Willie Brown one day
and said, ‘Willie, knock it off, this is my district,’ ” Walters said. “And
that was all there was to that.”
Erin Hannigan said she has heard a
lot of stories about her father, but never that particular one, and was
happy Walters included it in his presentation.
Thomas M. Hannigan, a former mayor
of Fairfield and former Solano County supervisor, served in the state Assembly
from 1978-96, and was majority leader from 1985-95. He served as director of
the state Department of Water Resources from 1999-2003.
Reach Todd R. Hansen at 427-6932 or thansen@dailyrepublic.net.
