SACRAMENTO — Would state budget negotiations be more fruitful as a reality television show?
In a Capitol notorious for secret deals hashed out by powerful leaders, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he would enjoy televising or webcasting some of the talks on the state's fiscal crisis. His counterparts in the Legislature say they are willing to give it a try.
So far, their approaches have led to a deficit that has swollen to $26.3 billion and a cash supply so low that the government is issuing IOUs instead of paying all its bills.
Schwarzenegger has been touting a need for transparency in the face of evidence that Californians don't trust their government. He even says he would like his office to be a "glass house" so visitors can see inside.
"Everyone will be performing more, but I think eventually they will get used to it that there is cameras around," he said in a recent interview.
Even if budget talks were filmed a la "The Osbournes" or "Jon & Kate Plus 8," it's unlikely Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders would slap each other silly, cheat on their spouses, trash office furniture or engage in other behavior worthy of a decent reality show. Nor is it clear whether anyone could be voted out of a meeting.
But cameras might have made clear, for instance, what made Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) bolt out of a recent negotiating session in the governor's office.
"He broke it. He should fix it," she sputtered, struggling to contain her exasperation. Other legislative leaders offered no insight when they emerged.
"I wouldn't be able to speculate on why she said that," ventured Senate Republican leader Dennis Hollingsworth (R-Murrieta).
Hollingsworth had previously been adamant about telling the public what happens in "Big Five" meetings between the governor and the state's top four legislative leaders. But last week he would tell reporters only a few of the topics that were discussed, without giving details.
The governor has some experience with reality television, at least cinematically. In "The Running Man," a 1987 movie based on a novel by Stephen King, Schwarzenegger played a game show contestant who must escape hunters trying to kill him.
Though lawmakers may have a less dire agenda, at least in budget negotiations, the governor said it would be productive to engage in "a debate in front of the people."
