26 Days and Counting
By Robert Warne - February 4, 2004Even though there’s been little progress in Sacramento recently toward nailing down a work comp reform package before March 1 that meets Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s comprehensive criteria, a lot of effort has gone into mobilizing the political troops for a guerilla campaign on the ballot battlefield.
Between the governor, Republicans and business leaders; Democrats, applicant attorneys and labor leaders, work comp reform is a black and white issue with Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi caught somewhere in between in a grey area.
Applicant attorneys got a shot of adrenaline in their arms at a meeting in Rancho Mirage recently when political strategist James Carville called them to action by telling them to do whatever it takes to fight against Gov. Schwarzenegger’s plan.
The attorneys, not willing to let the Legislature reduce their caseloads and in their view, pick their pockets, put up over $2 million in donations at the gathering to support their cause, the Los Angeles Times reported.
And on the other side of the issue, three proponents of separate work comp ballot initiatives agreed to unite and focus their efforts behind a single Workers' Compensation Reform and Accountability Act.
Together they have assembled a $1.6-million start-up war chest to gather the nearly 600,000 signatures required to get the initiative on the Nov. ballot.
The initial donations for both sides may seem fairly hefty, but for those familiar with the ballot battlefield its merely chump change.
According to the Times, when it’s all said and done both sides will have each spent at least $20 million.
A legislative solution would be the cheapest and fastest way to bring about reform.
But, Richard Wooley the immediate past president of the California Applicants' Attorneys Assn. said, “getting the half a dozen or more workers' compensation players to endorse Schwarzenegger's concept of comprehensive reform is like five blind men agreeing [on the shape] of a couple of elephants,” the Times reported.
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