KMAX: News of the West

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Arnold Schwarzenegger can stir fans to standing ovations when he talks about his plans for his first 100 days if elected governor, but many of the people who would have to work with him say the actor is promising more than he can deliver.

Schwarzenegger says he will rescind a newly tripled car tax on his first day in office, renegotiate state employee union contracts for cost savings and repeal a law to give driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants.

``I can kill that tax with my signature alone and I will do exactly that,'' he said last week to thunderous cheers.

But even normal, two-month government transitions can be fraught with hard feelings, lack of cooperation and even hijinks. Consider the most recent shift in Washington, when incoming staffers of President Bush complained that President Clinton's people had pulled the ``W'' keys off computers.

If Davis is recalled, the change could be nearly overnight. And if Schwarzenegger, a Republican, moves in, the transition could be especially messy as it carries an aggressive agenda into a hostile capital dominated by Democrats.

The state Department of Finance already reacted to Schwarzenegger's boast about immediately killing the car tax with legal arguments saying in short: No way.

Representatives for state employees, Indian tribes and backers of driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants hold similar sentiments about Schwarzenegger's agenda. Their resistance foreshadows the gridlock that could dominate the Capitol if Schwarzenegger wins Tuesday's election and declares war on priorities held dear by the Democrat-controlled Legislature.

``I think he's got a little bit to learn. He ought to wait until he's elected,'' said Senate leader John Burton, a San Francisco Democrat.

Finance department attorneys have already determined that a governor alone can't repeal the car tax hike, said spokeswoman Anita Gore. First, state law must be changed, and that would take a majority of the Legislature.

State Finance Director Steve Peace triggered the car tax hike in June, returning the 2 percent tax on vehicle purchase prices to 1998 levels. The move boosted the state treasury by $4.2 billion a year, money which Schwarzenegger would have to find elsewhere if he successfully repeals the tax.

``If you do that ... you've just blown a $4.2 billion hole in the budget,'' said Pat Leary, lobbyist for the California State Association of Counties.

Likewise, state Sen. Gil Cedillo, the Los Angeles Democrat who authored the driver's license bill for undocumented immigrants that becomes law Jan. 1, promised to stop Schwarzenegger's intentions to repeal it.

``I can guarantee you, he will not be successful,'' Cedillo said.

Cedillo said Schwarzenegger would have to introduce a new bill to repeal or change the law, and wouldn't get the votes. Cedillo's bill cleared the Senate 23-15 on Sept. 4, two days after passing the Assembly 44-30.

State employees have no intention of supporting Schwarzenegger's promise to renegotiate their contracts ``to get a better deal for taxpayers.''

Perry Kenny, president of the 92,000-member California State Employees Association, said no governor can make unions renegotiate their contracts. State law requires that the unions must agree to do it, he said.

Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger's demands that Indian tribes send more casino money to state coffers targets groups that balked at Davis' requests this year for $1.5 billion.

``He says he's going to get $2 billion out of the Indians. What's he going to do that with, a gun?'' Senate leader Burton said.

``He's been calling them thieves, impugning them on television and then he's going to get money from them, even though under federal laws you can't tax them.''

Associated Press Writer Jennifer Coleman in Sacramento contributed to this report.