Experts Expound

“The Battle for the City of Vernon is over. What was this fight really about? Who are the real winners and losers?”

Over? Did you say “over”? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

Still not clear how this one became the fight of the year.  Everyone loses, corruption remains, bad blood all around.  Shouldn’t be the legacy of this smart Speaker.

It was about stones. The Speaker thought his were bigger than they are. How ironic that deLeon, who spends more time in front of a mirror admiring himself than most members, prevailed.

The speaker identified himself with abolishing Vernon from the very beginning, and he paid a terrible political price when he lost. The truth is, that town is a disaster. Despite whatever “reforms” were agreed to, the town will remain a disaster.

Fight about nothing. The real winner is the very expensive business lobbyists hired by Vernon. The real loser is Pérez, who completely underestimated Kevin deLeon and paid a real price for it.

The fight was, duh, over money and who gets it in from Vernon businesses, and having someone with the integrity of a Calderon bail you out is never a good sign. Speaker Pérez is the biggest loser – but, as Capitol vets are already predicting, pending bills by unsupportive Senators are likely DOA in the Assembly next week.

According to Dan Morain in the Sacramento Bee the loser was Speaker Pérez.  That view will start to become part of the reality unless he changes his behavior.

How would Dan Morain explain this …

The not-so-obvious biggest loser may be Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, who couldn’t deliver his Caucus for the Speaker. Expect more Senate bill hostages and casualties in the waning days of the legislative session.

The winners: deLeon, the Senate, Vernon labor and businesses, Nielsen Merksamer as the lobbyist for Vernon.

Pérez looks silly, “Vernon” joins “Bell” in being synonymous for “corruption.” Both lose. Rare win for deLeon, though, who finally may be showing that legislative potential people used to talk about.

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