Experts Expound

 “What is the health care agreement between Assembly Democrats and the governor? The real thing? A political stunt? A landmark agreement that sets the stage for the future? A charade?”

Like a second marriage, it represents the triumph of hope over experience.
Too little, too late — a “don’t just stand there, do something” move.

This appears to me to be political trickery at its worst. Pass something that gives people hope and then have it killed at the polls. If they’d wanted to do something real, they could have.

All of the above. Most of all, it’s a giant crap shoot in the dark, where the law of unintended consequences will rule the day — if it were to ever become law.

All of the above, except “the real thing.” Big, complex deals need to be vetted through the full legislative process— not ginned up behind closed doors between two people with a vested interest in “progress.” Lawmaking is not the sole province of the speaker, the governor and their staffs. Besides, the adult in the room — Perata — has already torched this “deal.”

It’s all of the above, and it’s also DOA, as Perata said. Even if by some miracle they get it through the Senate, the funding initiative will never pass. Economy will still be slow; no way voters will support such a cobbled-together plan.

The health care agreement is like those photos of models on underwear packages: It’s what we’d look like if reality didn’t get in the way.

This agreement is less about making progress than putting on a show for the media and public. Does anyone else sense an air of desperation hanging above Núñez? He attacks the press — five times — during the recent PPIC forum, then he sounds shrill when talking about the health deal. Can the failure of Prop. 93 be coming?

It is a landmark health care agreement that is a charade, and in the future it will be referred to as a political stunt.
It is a real political stunt that will provide for plenty of staged campaign appearances in the future.

Arnold and Fabian might think they did something important, but nothing’s going to happen. At best, it dies quietly in the Senate. At worst, it’s a loud, expensive defeat on the ballot in November.

It started out serious and real, but will never get approved by the voters in this form. The speaker and the governor need a parent in their political lives. … Don Perata will fill that role. This is a national problem begging for a national solution. Medi-Care for everybody?

For the governor it was all about claiming victory before the major cuts are announced. For Núñez, it was all about extending his term.

It’s meaningless. Only the federal government can make this happen. If we really care about health care for all people, it’s time to admit the obvious truth: The only big boy big enough to pull this off is the federal government. If you care about health care, both other people’s and your own, then for crying out loud, vote Democrat!

It is Fabian announcing he is running for Mayor of Los Angeles. Dan Walters is right: It is utility deregulation all over again.
It is a landmark health care agreement that is a charade, and in the future it will be referred to as a political stunt.

A weak attempt at making it look like government-run health care for all is feasible.

The people from whom we sought opinions: Andrew Acosta, A.G. Block, Mark Bogetich, Barry Brokaw, Deborah Gonzalez, Kathy Fairbanks, Dan Schnur, Sam Sorich, J. Dale Debber, Jason Kinney, Matt Ross, Mike Madrid, Kevin Spillane, Morgan Crinklaw, Ralph Simoni, Garry South, Ray Sotero, Richard Zeiger, Peter DeMarco, Adam Probolsky, Barbara O’Connor, Jim Evans, Rex Frazier, Jeff Fuller, Kassy Perry, Adam Mendelsohn, Ken Gibson, Bill Packer, Jack Pitney, Sandy Harrison, Steve Maviglio, Nicole Mahrt, Will Shuck, Bob Hertzberg, Evan Goldberg, Roger Salazar, Matt Rexroad, Tony Quinn.