On Maui, a Prelude to Budget-Slashing

SACRAMENTO —  As they gird to slash billions of dollars from California’s budget, at least a dozen members of the Legislature ensconced themselves this week at the Maui Sheraton hotel with leaders of the correctional officers union.

The Hawaii meeting comes three days before the Monday opening of a special session to close a budget gap projected at between $21 billion and $30 billion -- more than one-quarter of the state’s general fund.

Leaders of the California Correctional Peace Officers Assn. say that by sponsoring a “California conference” in which lawmakers talk politics in the morning and enjoy Hawaii in the afternoon, they hope to build rapport among lawmakers who will soon square off.

“I think it’s their way of getting away from the Capitol and dialoguing among themselves,” said Don Novey, a retired executive director of the correctional officers group who now works as a consultant for the powerful union, one of the biggest donors to Sacramento politicians. “I think they enjoy the give and take in this convivial setting.”

The correctional officers union may pick up the tab for a dinner for the California lawmakers this week but nothing more, Novey said.

He and lawmakers say legislators pay the airplane and hotel bills for the Maui trip, either from personal or campaign funds. Money raised for election campaigns can be spent on travel and conferences that involve a legislative, political or governmental purpose.

But what’s legal doesn’t necessarily make good government, said Paul Ryan, a campaign finance reform expert with the nonprofit, nonpartisan Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles. He called the two-day gathering a “perfect textbook example” of well-financed special interests winning greater access to politicians than ordinary Californians.

The 26,000-member prison guard union has donated more than $1 million to Gov. Gray Davis since his election in 1998. The Davis administration gave the guards a pay hike of as much as 37% earlier this year. The union also donates heavily to lawmakers, who gave Novey a framed resolution and warm retirement farewell last summer.

Novey said the lawmakers who arrived Wednesday and Thursday included Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson (D-Culver City), Republican leader Dave Cox of Fair Oaks, Senate Republican leader Jim Brulte of Rancho Cucamonga, Sen. Liz Figueroa (D-Fremont), Assemblyman Russ Bogh (R-Cherry Valley), Assemblyman Tony Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks) and Sen. Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield).

“It’s kind of neat to see Dave [Cox] and Herb [Wesson] sitting up there in their Hawaiian shirts and discussing why they did what they did,” Novey said Thursday morning of a panel discussion on last month’s elections.

Cox spokesman Peter DeMarco defended the Maui visit, saying it did not interfere with any Capitol business. “There’s not been a cavalcade in here this week to talk about budget matters,” said DeMarco, who stayed behind in Sacramento.