Democrats Opt for Cooperation : Sticking to Proven Path, Governor Gains Backing

After proving during the last two years that tight budgets, big spending increases for schools and tough positions on crime can be good politics, Republican Gov. George Deukmejian started off the third year of his Administration on Tuesday promising more of the same.

Democrats, who in the past have bitterly opposed the governor on many key issues, appear to have reached the conclusion that what plays well for Deukmejian with the public may also play well for them.

They greeted Deukmejian’s third State of the State speech, delivered to a joint session of the Legislature, with applause, respect and promises of a “new spirit” of cooperation.

Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) broke a symbolic olive branch after the governor’s 21-minute speech, handing a piece to Deukmejian and another to Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles), keeping one for himself.

“I’m going to put mine in water and hope it grows,” Bronwn told reporters later, expressing the near-unanimous feeling among Democrats that they want more peace and fewer public fights with the governor, who continues to show strong popularity among California voters in public opinion surveys.

The Legislature, on the other hand, has taken a public relations drubbing in recent years, and the Democrats’ relatively warm reception of the governor’s program for 1985-86 was clear evidence of that. With another round of legislative elections coming in 1986, Democrats say they want to avoid the political problems of 1984, when they faced tough reelection challenges and strong anti-politician initiatives to strip the Speaker of his power and take reapportionment out of the hands of the Legislature.

“Efforts to make peace are real,” said Assembly Democratic Floor Leader Mike Roos (D-Los Angeles). “The Legislature has an image problem. We have to do something.

“We have probably gone beyond anyone’s tolerance with our attacks on one another. The Legislature, as a whole, has a problem, but particularly Democrats, because we control both houses.”

Roos, however, could not help but acknowledge that the “new spirit” may be more a temporary truce than a permanent treaty.

‘Anyone’s Guess’

“How long it lasts is anyone’s guess,” he said.

Deukmejian helped set the tone by delivering an essentially nonpartisan speech, hitting on the same themes stressed in his 1984 State of the State address and stressing issues that have won Democratic support in the past.

The governor avoided reference to last year’s ill-fated plan to expand the California Water Project and transfer more Northern California water to the south. Defeat of the water plan last August represented Deukmejian’s biggest legislative setback, and the water issue remains troublesome.

What Deukmejian did talk about was his continued commitment to prudent fiscal policy. He said the budget he will unveil Thursday will be balanced and contain a substantial reserve (at least $1 billion).

He again called education his highest budget priority. He promised additional funding to rebuild California’s deteriorating bridges, roads, water systems, sewers and public buildings. He also said he would stress programs aimed at cleaning up toxic pollutants in the environment and would continue to beef up prisons and law enforcement programs and to appoint “common-sense” judges.

“Education has never had it so good in California,” said Senate Republican Leader James W. Nielsen (R-Woodland).

Deukmejian said he would increase spending on public schools by $1 billion in the proposed budget for fiscal 1985-86. The current budget is $31.5 billion, and Deukmejian indicated that he expects significant spending increases in many areas.

Overall, he said he would hike spending on education by 10%. Last year, he proposed a 16.6% increase. The larger-than-normal increase was an effort to make up what he said was previous too little funding in the past. Although lower than last year’s proposal, the 10% Deukmejian is asking for this year is substantially above the rate of inflation.