In this story from today’s Bee we see the punishing consequences for one valley legislator standing by principle, and refusing to vote for the bond bill that didn’t include surface water storage capability—dams—his constituents in the valley (and really all of us) desperately need.
Here is an excerpt.
Speaker puts a dissenter in 'doghouse'
Bonds package sparks rare cooperation between parties
By E.J. Schultz and Jim Sanders -- Bee Capitol BureauPublished 2:15 am PDT Saturday, May 6, 2006
Sometimes disagreeing with your boss comes with a price.
After refusing to fall in line with Democratic leadership on the record $37.3 billion bond package passed Friday, Assemblyman Juan Arambula, DF-resno, was kicked out of his office.
"I was told to pack my bags and move out of my office immediately," he said Friday.
Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez moved the first-term Democrat from a comfortable office suite to shoebox-sized accommodations known to Capitol staff as "the doghouse."
Núñez also stripped Arambula of his chairmanship of the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy.
"He's not going to be part of the speaker's leadership team," said Steve Maviglio, Núñez's spokesman. "When the entire football team is headed down the field and one of the players runs to the sideline, that doesn't help move the ball downfield."
Arambula's demotion apparently marks Núñez's first such retaliation since becoming speaker in 2004, but other legislative leaders have taken similar action in years past.
Arambula said he had no hint that Friday's crackdown was coming.
"I knew leadership wouldn't be happy, but I didn't imagine that it would be this severe or this quick," he said.
He knew there was immediate trouble when Jon Waldie, the Assembly's chief executive officer, called Arambula's office to say some moving boxes would be arriving soon. Arambula called Núñez.
"He said that I should move out of my office by Monday, that I was relieved of my chairmanship, and that there might be other adjustments made in the future - in terms of staff or budget," Arambula said.
Arambula said he couldn't muster a vote for any of the four bond measures because they failed to serve the needs of the San Joaquin Valley. He abstained on all four bond votes, which passed the Assembly and Senate by comfortable margins. The bond package will be on the November ballot.
"I felt the Valley was left out and that the needs of the people I represent were not adequately considered," he said.
He said he was most perturbed that none of the measures included money for water storage, specifically a proposed Fresno-area dam at Temperance Flat, upstream of Millerton Lake. "Water is a big issue for farmworkers and farmers, for cities and for businesses," said Arambula, who grew up working the fields of the Central Valley.
