Mayors state case on Gov.’s annual address

Alicia Robinson

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t exactly whisper sweet nothings in

his State of the State address Wednesday, but Newport-Mesa officials

liked what they heard.

The speech laid out an ambitious program of reforms that promised

local officials just what they wanted. The governor outlined reforms

in education, state pensions, government operations and

infrastructure.

But Schwarzenegger pulled out the big guns first, attacking the

state budget system and government spending.

He proposed limiting state spending to the growth of revenue, a

goal Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor said he could get behind.

“We all have spending limits in our personal budget, so I see no

reason why the state can’t abide by the same rule,” Mansoor said.

But topping cities’ budget worries are employee pensions, which

make up the bulk of their budgets each year. Citing a four-year

increase in state pension costs of more than $2.4 billion, the

governor proposed moving from a system of defined benefits to one of

defined contributions.

A defined benefit program promises contributors a specific amount

each month after retirement, while a defined contribution plan gives

users individual accounts and requires them to decide how to invest

their contributions.

The proposed pension shift was welcomed by Newport Beach Mayor

Steve Bromberg.

“If he can resolve just that one issue, that will save millions of

dollars for cities all across California,” Bromberg said.

Mansoor also wanted to hear about road improvements, and that wish

was answered by Schwarzenegger’s pledge to devote $1 billion from new

Indian gaming agreements to transportation.

“The prior administration expanded programs by taking money away

from our infrastructure, and now we see the results of that every

time we drive on our roads,” Mansoor said.

Making government more efficient by reorganizing departments such

as the state corrections agency and getting rid of superfluous

commissions was also on the governor’s agenda. Assemblyman Van Tran,

a Republican who represents Costa Mesa, is already working on part of

that goal with a bill he introduced to eliminate salaries for about

14 state boards and commissions.

State Sen. John Campbell, a Republican representing Newport-Mesa,

didn’t make it to Sacramento for the speech because his plane was

delayed, but he has been working for some time on a ballot initiative

that would limit spending growth to inflation plus the growth of

population.

Campbell praised the governor’s speech, which he watched on

television at home, but he predicted a bitter fight with Democratic

legislators over the proposed reforms.

“I think it’s an excellent program, but you could see the reaction

of the Democrats in the legislature,” Campbell said. “There may have

been one time that they clapped, and that was when [the governor]

walked to the podium.”

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers government and politics. She may be

reached at (714) 966-4626 or by e-mail at alicia.robinson

@latimes.com.