CAPITAL JOURNAL : Fund-Raisers Are the Only Game in Town

Assemblyman Richard E. Floyd (D-Carson) was bump-and-grind dancing with a pair of go-go girls in skimpy bikinis at his $500-a-ticket fund-raiser when he stopped just long enough to ask attending state Capitol lobbyists a rhetorical question.

“Doesn’t this beat the . . . . out of wine and cheese at Brannan’s?” asked Floyd, referring to a local watering hole that is often the site of tamer legislative fund-raisers. The lobbyists laughed approvingly.

A few minutes later, they went back to drinking beer, eating hot dogs and watching the second half of “Monday Night Football” on giant TV screens at the cozy River City Sports Bar and Grill, which also has a card room.

Lobbyists were invited to sign a petition to help qualify Floyd’s proposed ballot initiative to legalize betting on professional and college sporting events. Several of them signed.

Blunt-talking Floyd, chairman of the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee, who arrived late for his own party, figures he grossed about $40,000 for his campaign war chest. He also won a “couple of bucks” betting on the football game, which went into his pocket. Floyd had the Cowboys and 2 1/2 points.

The Washington Redskins beat the Dallas Cowboys in a thriller, 33-31. And everybody who went to the fund-raiser, including this reporter, had a good time.

Though renting a go-go dancer is a rarity for such events, the Southern California assemblyman’s party was one of many in the annual legislative fundraiser frenzy. These are the final days of the session when big bills are up for do-or-die votes.

There have been more than 30 such events during these final two weeks of the session. A lobbyist would have had to shell out more than $15,000 to attend them all.

Every Sacramento lobbyist knows how to play the fund-raising game. If you don’t go, you might be blamed for losing a pet bill or having action postponed until next year. Both things make your employer very unhappy. So most lobbyists wisely choose to go to a lot of fund-raisers.

The majority of fund-raisers traditionally are cocktail parties with plenty of alcoholic beverages, fancy hors d’oeuvres, and small talk about legislative reapportionment and such.

Take the $1,000-per-ticket Assembly Republican fund-raiser featuring Gov. Pete Wilson at the Hyatt Regency Hotel across the street from the state Capitol.

The governor had more than 100 lobbyists laughing at his jokes, good and bad alike. But more important, Wilson helped Assembly GOP Leader Bill Jones of Fresno raise more than $100,000 for Republican candidates.

“It’s a great pleasure to be here,” Wilson told the lobbyists. “I see some of the same faces that I began the day with. The question is, are you here tonight representing different clients?”--an in- joke about lobbyists serving several masters.

“I’d like to have more Assembly Republicans for the leadership to lead. That’s only fair. Agreed?” More laughter.

Wilson added that state economic growth should keep pace with population growth--which translates into more profits for employers of the lobbyists in attendance. He emphasized that passing the needed legislation would require more Republican votes.

This was no bacchanal.

Goodies for Jones’ fund-raiser included roast turkey sandwiches, teriyaki on a stick, shrimp, oysters on the half-shell, cracked crab, and lox and cream cheese on baby bagels. Wine and sparkling water looked like the favorite beverages.

One veteran lobbyist groaned and left after staying only a few minutes. “I try not to stay more than 10 minutes or so,” he said. “I’ve got three more of these things to hit tonight.”

Why does the lobbyist continue to do it year after year? “They (lawmakers) may not remember who is there,” he said, “but they sure as hell remember who isn’t.”

Meanwhile, Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) is hosting a $1,000-per-ticket black-tie event in the posh Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel’s grand ballroom this Sunday evening. Cocktails at 6 and dinner at 7.

The scheduled guest speaker is Democratic Texas Gov. Ann Richards. A table of 10 goes for $10,000. Want to wager that a lot of Sacramento lobbyists won’t be flying down to Los Angeles to be there? Dick Floyd would probably take that bet.