Legislators see gaps in governor's plan

Although two local Democrats were happy when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed a $125.6-billion budget Tuesday that would increase payments to education and transportation, they were still concerned that other issues might not be addressed as generously.

Assemblyman Dario Frommer and state Sen. Jack Scott, Democrats who represent Glendale and Burbank, both had pet concerns they hoped would be addressed before the budget was finally approved.

Frommer will announce his plan to raise billions of dollars to construct railroad overpasses and underpasses as soon as next week, he said. The governor proposed to spend an added $1.4 million to fund safety improvements for dangerous railroad crossings including those that run through Glendale and Burbank, Frommer said. But Frommer supports grade separations on the most dangerous crossings, which will cost billions to build.

Frommer has also been pushing for universal state-funded child health insurance.

"What was disappointing was that he said nothing about fulfilling his promise to make sure all kids in California can see a doctor when they get sick," Frommer said.

He was especially concerned about the governor's earlier proposal to spend $72 million to educate parents about how to get their children into government-funded insurance programs.

"It's really meaningless because what the governor is doing is spending money to tell people to enroll in Healthy Families, which is nice," Frommer said. "But he hasn't provided additional [funds] to accommodate new enrollees nor a comprehensive program to plug current gaps in healthcare for kids."

The governor might also reinstate an enrollment fee to enter Healthy Families.

"That's a disincentive to enroll," Frommer said. "They are already struggling financially."

Scott, the former president of Pasadena Community College who chairs the state Senate Education Committee and the Budget Subcommittee on Education, said the proposed budget was more evidence that the governor is reacting to his failed propositions.

"It's clear he's moving to the middle," Scott said. "When he first came in, that was why he was elected because people thought he was centrist but he took a right turn."

Although Frommer remains skeptical of the governor's "election-year budget," Scott said he will work with what is proposed.