Gov. Finds Friendly Ear for Levee Aid

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday sought to make the case for Congress and the White House to provide federal aid to shore up the state’s levees, even in a time of tight federal budgets.

His message: “Spend a little bit of money in order to save a lot of money,” as he put it during a visit to the Capitol.

Without federal aid to repair the levees, the governor said, California could face a Hurricane Katrina-like flooding disaster that could cost the government a lot more.

His approach is a strategy designed to overcome strong resistance in Congress, led by deficit-minded conservatives, to providing for new money without offsetting budget cuts.

Still, Schwarzenegger appeared to win over at least one target of his lobbying.

Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), the influential chairman of the Senate subcommittee that writes spending bills for flood-control projects, said after meeting with Schwarzenegger that he would support the governor’s request for about $23.5 million to strengthen the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta levees.

Domenici said he would try to include the money in a multibillion-dollar bill to fund expenses for the war and hurricane relief that is expected to come before Congress this month.

Schwarzenegger’s efforts also could receive a boost from Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Lewis is “committed to doing whatever he can to help,” said his spokesman, Jim Specht.

California Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, both Democrats, who also met with Schwarzenegger, joined in his lobbying effort. They sent a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee leaders, citing “California’s dire need for additional flood control funding.”

“We have to move aggressively,” Feinstein said.

Schwarzenegger will have a much tougher time snagging the $56 million to $75 million he wants from Washington to repair eroded earth foundations for two dozen levees -- or the $3 billion federal share over 10 years for flood control projects from a massive public works bond he has proposed.

President Bush, meeting with governors attending the National Governors Assn. winter meeting, cautioned on Monday: “Don’t be calling on us for any more money.”

Schwarzenegger’s lobbying came just days after he declared a state of emergency for the California levee system and took members of the state’s congressional delegation on a helicopter tour of the structures.

Schwarzenegger also met with White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card on Tuesday, asking for a federal emergency declaration, a move that an aide to the governor said would speed work on levee repairs. Earlier in the week, Schwarzenegger won a commitment from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to tour the levees.

“Increasingly severe weather systems each season have accelerated the deterioration of the state’s levee system to the point where they are now in danger of failing during the next major rainfall or earthquake,” Schwarzenegger said in a letter to Bush on Monday.

Some Democrats were unimpressed with Schwarzenegger’s latest trip to Washington.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren of San Jose, head of the California House Democrats, assailed the governor for not having time to meet with the state’s congressional delegation.

“During the governor’s three-day trip to our nation’s capital he made time to bemoan to Tim Russert on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ that California only receives 79 cents for every dollar it pays to the federal government,” she said. “However, he didn’t find it necessary to make time to meet with the entire bipartisan congressional delegation who should be his allies in this funding fight.”

In California, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) blamed the Bush administration for not giving California more money.

“It’s disrespectful to the governor of the largest state in the nation when all he comes back with from Washington is a vague promise that the Homeland Security secretary will tour the levees,” Perata said. “The governor’s bond proposal assumes a massive influx of federal funds, so the Bush administration could at least have given some sign that that is even possible.”

Perata added that Schwarzenegger would be better served by lobbying members of his own party in Sacramento to vote for his infrastructure plan. Some GOP lawmakers have balked at the $68 billion in borrowing that it contains.

Schwarzenegger will continue his efforts in Sacramento today before heading to Ohio for the Arnold Classic, the bodybuilding competition named after him. He is scheduled to discuss strategy with legislative leaders.