. . . And the Children Wait : Wilson-Brown dispute may be delaying key actions related to the schools

Gov. Pete Wilson and Assembly Speaker Willie Brown each have something the other wants. Yet while they squabble through political surrogates, the children of Los Angeles Unified School District wait.

Wilson wants Brown’s support of his nominee for superintendent of public instruction, state Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach). Brown opposes Bergeson. He has said that Republican Wilson should replace former Supt. Bill Honig, a Democrat, with another Democrat. Brown also says he’s concerned that Bergeson would have a religious agenda as state schools chief. While Bergeson is conservative, her 15-year record in Sacramento does not indicate that she is an unreasonable zealot. While her educational beliefs are fair game, it isn’t fair to paint Bergeson, as she put it, as some “weirdo creationist.”

Now maybe it’s just incredible coincidence, but Wilson’s secretary of child development and education, Maureen DiMarco, has been making a lot of noise about how the governor will veto legislation that Brown would propose to help Los Angeles Unified get out its current financial jam.

Brown performed an important job as intermediary between the Los Angeles teachers union and the L.A. school board in warding off a potentially disastrous strike. He directed the school board to use its $30-million emergency reserve to help pay the teachers and vowed to help the board secure the state waiver or legislation necessary. The school board now says it can’t afford to finally ratify the teachers’ contract until Brown makes good on his pledge. But Brown has said he’s not prepared to seek a waiver or legislation now. Bad political timing?

Could these Wilson-Brown maneuvers be related? Wouldn’t it be nice for L.A. public school children if the governor and the Assembly Speaker did some old-fashioned political horse-trading?