“What do you suppose goes on in those secret meetings with the Big 4 when they get together to talk about the budget?” asked Marie.

“Lots of horse trading, I guess,” said Cal. “When you get the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Assembly and Senate in a room they have a lot of differences to iron out and the best way to do that is by wheeling-dealing. You know, I’ll trade you three corporate loopholes for one program elimination.”

“I don’t get it. Why can’t the budget be debated out in the open?”

Cal said, “You don’t do wheeling and dealing in the public. You can’t get anything done that way. They are working hard to come up with compromises that will work.”

“That’s what they’d like you to think they’re doing,” said Grady. “If the budget were resolved quickly every year then no one in California would even know the legislature exists. You saw how many people showed up in the June primary. What was it, twenty percent of the voters? The only way that people know the legislature exists is when they pass a silly bill or stall the budget. You know what I think, I think they like it this way. That’s why a late budget’s happened something like 20 years in a row.

“That’s pretty cynical,” said Marie.

“It’s reality. This is the best time of the year for them. Their names are in the newspapers every day. What politician do you know who doesn’t want his or her name in the paper?”

“Can you say Elliot Spitzer?”

“You know what I mean,” said Grady. “And another thing, I think they go into those secret meetings to get away from it all.”

“Get away from what?” asked Marie.

“The Big 4 go behind closed doors and get away from pressure groups and aides and even spouses. I’ll bet everyday is a party. They aren’t being hammered every minute by the press for information or interest groups for results. But you know who they really want to get away from most of all?”

“Who?”

“Us. All of us Californians from all sides yelling at them with our demands. These Big 4 meetings are probably the only time the leaders have any peace and quiet when they’re in Sacramento.”