Fresno mayor takes dam, superintendent control concerns to Capitol.

By E.J. Schultz / Bee Capitol Bureau

SACRAMENTO — Fresno Mayor Alan Autry came to the Capitol on Wednesday with water and schools on his mind, making a plea for a Fresno-area dam and calling on lawmakers to pass a bill to give county superintendents more control of schools.

In afternoon meetings with Republican leaders, Autry lobbied hard for state bond money for a Temperance Flat dam, a fight that looks to be an uphill battle. He then turned his attention to education, testifying in support of a bill by Assembly Member Juan Arambula, D-Fresno, that would give county officials more oversight of failing school districts.

Emerging from a meeting with the Republican leaders of the Senate and Assembly, Autry said that water storage was "an uphill battle but it's one we have to fight."

Just last week, Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman said in an interview that he had agreed in principle to drop water storage in return for Democrats backing off on money for parks and natural resources.

He reiterated that view in a brief interview Wednesday. But he added that leaders have talked about bringing another bond deal before voters in 2008, and that water storage would be "at the top of the list."

Ackerman and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, said last week that they were discussing a bond package of about $30 billion that would include money for levee repair, school construction and transportation, including $1 billion for Highway 99.

Leaders are trying to hammer out a deal in time to put a bond package before voters on November's ballot. Autry said he is encouraging local lawmakers to hold out for water storage money even if it means losing Highway 99 money.

"[Highway] 99 pales in comparison to the water storage," he said. "But we need and deserve both."

The Friant Water Users Authority and other Valley officials have lobbied for at least $500 million in state bond money to be dedicated to the Temperance dam, which would cost an estimated $1 billion. The so-called "upper San Joaquin River" site is one of five sites being studied by the state and federal government for a possible dam.

The project is opposed by Democratic leaders who believe that only large-scale farms and property owners would benefit. Environmentalists have questioned the project's cost, saying that users might not be willing to pay for water that is expected to cost at least five times as much as water from Friant Dam.

Disagreeing, Autry called water storage "a moral stance for our children and grandchildren," adding that farmers, cities, hospitals, schools and businesses would all benefit from increased capacity.

In making his case, Autry was joined by officials from Visalia and Firebaugh, and Tulare, Fresno, Merced and Kings counties. But Autry was clearly the lobbyist-in-chief, and he was the only one entering Gov. Schwarzenegger's office for an afternoon meeting with the governor's chief of staff, Susan Kennedy. The governor's office declined to comment on the private meeting.

Wednesday evening, Autry testified on behalf of Arambula's education bill, Assembly Bill 2859, which cleared its first legislative hurdle with approval by the Assembly Committee on Education.

The bill is wide-ranging, including more than 80 provisions. Generally, it would give county superintendents more power over poor-performing school districts, including Fresno Unified. For instance, the county superintendent would oversee academic improvement plans and could overrule district decisions that aren't consistent with such plans.

Arambula said existing law gives superintendents the power to oversee districts in fiscal bankruptcy.

"Academic bankruptcy should be at least at the same level of concern on the part of the state," he said.

Autry pleaded for the bill, telling the committee that Fresno County has an education crisis and that "what's in place now simply is not working."

Though the committee approved the bill by a 7-1 vote, members suggested that Arambula make it a pilot program only applying to Fresno County. Next stop is the Committee on Appropriations, where the road could get tougher. The bill is opposed by the California Federation of Teachers and the Association of California School Administrators, which represents leaders at some 800 school districts.

Fresno Unified spokeswoman Erin Kennedy said district leaders are concerned that the bill would give too much power to the county superintendent. New leadership at Fresno Unified, she said, is solving the district's academic problems. More vice principals, social workers and coaches for teachers have been added, she said.

"We don't think it would help to have someone else come in and switch gears," she said. But Arambula said the bill would "provide ample time for a school district to show what it can do."

The reporter can be reached at eschultz@fresnobee.com or (916) 326-5541.