Talk Show : Deukmejian Budget Gets an Unlikely Radio Plug

Would a Democratic legislator ever pull Gov. George Deukmejian’s fat out of the fire? The answer on Friday was yes--and just in the nick of time.

Deukmejian, who is beginning a tour of the state to promote his 1985-86 budget proposal, was a guest on the Michael Jackson show on radio station KABC in Los Angeles.

As the talk show regulars kept the lines hot, the governor found himself defending some of his vetoes and trying to answer problematical questions.

First there was Barbara, mother of an 8-year-old child in the Los Angeles Unified School District. She wanted to praise the governor’s desire to increase spending on education by $5 billion, but she wondered if he could make sure the money would go to educational programs and not to bureaucrats.

Deukmejian said he was worried about that too, but wasn’t sure he could make any promises.

Left Hanging

Click! Barbara was left hanging, as Jackson quickly switched to Bob, who said he was in a phone booth and wanted to know why the governor had vetoed a zoning bill affecting Los Angeles. He knew the bill’s number and its sponsor, but the governor, who has set a record for vetoes, couldn’t recall the bill. He promised to look into it if Bob would give the details to Jackson’s staff.

After Jackson read a sales pitch for New Zealand fish and apricots, the phone lines were hot again. This time Ed wanted to know why the governor was “dragging his feet” on starting up the state lottery, which was approved by voters in November.

Deukmejian said background checks are now being done on five people he wants to serve as lottery commissioners, but he warned Ed that he wasn’t going to be rushed on something as complex and open to abuse as the lottery.

Click! Jackson himself moved right into a question: “When was the last time you walked through a ghost town or relived the Roaring ‘20s?”

Deukmejian opened his mouth to answer the question, but Jackson kept right on going and cut him off. It was an ad for Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park. (To be fair to the governor, Jackson’s segue into the ad was so abrupt that it really did sound like a talk show question.)

Unlikely Savior

Suddenly the phone rang again and on came Deukmejian’s unlikely savior--Assembly Majority Leader Mike Roos, a Los Angeles Democrat.

Although Roos said later that Jackson’s staff had asked him to call in, Jackson feigned surprise and whispered to Deukmejian, “This wasn’t planned. I can get rid of him.”

But Deukmejian shook his head.

Asked to comment on the governor’s new budget, which would boost spending for education, public safety, toxic wastes and road constuction, Roos described the proposals as “solid” and said, “They do really represent a vision for moving California ahead and solidly placing it as the No. 1 state in the world. . . .

“I think the governor did a very good job of basically defusing all of those kinds of issues that have plagued us in the past. One of the first and foremost has been cost-of-living increases for medical recipients, people on food stamps, the aged, blind and disabled. He has completely taken that (as an area to cut) off the table. I applaud it as generous. . . .”

Whispered Question

As Roos talked on, Jackson whispered to Deukmejian, “Do you mind this? I can’t turn him down.”

Deukmejian smiled and said, “Give him 10 more minutes.”

Roos wound up by saying, “His budget proposals make a lot of sense. . . . I’d call it a New Deal budget.”

Whoops. Deukmejian laughed and said he didn’t like the sound of that.

Click! Jackson cut to a a mattress ad and the phone lines began to light up again.