Experts Expound: Infrastructure Bond

After much wrangling, the governor’s proposed infrastructure plan went down to defeat. What happened? Who is to blame?

Here’s what happened: The governor has no juice and zero credibility with anyone in the Capitol. This guy makes Bush look like Machiavelli …

Size does matter. The bond package was too big and both sides of the aisle had reasons to reject it. (Democrats rejected it because it ate into general fund (GF) programs and Republicans did so because they don’t like bond debt). If the governor had come out with a more rational proposal limited to transportation, neither side could have rejected it and it would have been before the voters on the June ballot.

The system, more than anything else, is to blame. A firmly entrenched Legislature with term limits has little accountability to their constituents. So, the obvious need for infrastructure takes a backseat to infighting and power struggles.

It was an example of systemic dysfunction in government–two-thirds’ vote, partisan bickering, term limits, jockeying for geographic loot, and general dissent in the two houses and a lack of civility and interpersonal nastiness.

Everyone knows Perata and N