Gov. endorses Prop 84

Gov. Schwarzenegger today endorsed Proposition 84, the $5.4 billion environmental bond, which increasingly looks like a negotiating coup pulled off by Schwarzenegger and leading legislative Democrats to get around a balky Republican minority unwilling to borrow to fund environmental priorities. The bond, which includes $580 million for sustainable communities, $500 for parks and nature education centers, $540 million for coastal and beach protection and more than $900 for rivers lakes and streams, drew almost no support in the legislative GOP minority. GOP members had demanded that any bond include money for surface storage--better known as dams. Democrats refused and both sides agreed to drop the enviro/water bond altogether--all the while signature were being gathered to place a bond on the ballot with all the Democratic priorities--and more. Here's what Steve Maviglio, said to me last month in Capitol Weekly: "Republicans were opposed to a wide range of natural-resources programs in the original bond," says Steve Maviglio, deputy chief of staff to Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles. "It was pretty clear that the smartest strategy was to eliminate them, knowing this bond was coming down the line." Núñez and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, were among the first to endorse. And on Friday, the governor joined them. "This initiative ensures that the environment remains a key component of California's Strategic Growth Plan. Proposition 84 will help preserve California's incredible coastlineand natural resources for generations to come," said Schwarzenegger in a statement. "I look forward to working with environmental and legislative leaders to build on this initiative to expand California's water supply infrastructure."