"It's either together by then or not," said one highly placed Democratic lawmaker close to the budget talks.
At issue: Brown's ability to talk at least two Republican state senators and two Republican Assembly members to join with Democrats and let voters decide whether to extend hikes in the state's sales and income taxes and the vehicle license fee for another five years.
The talks already have blown past the usual deadline for placing a measure before voters on the first Tuesday in June. Negotiators still might be able to squeeze in an election if they get a deal early this week, but after that, forget about it.
Without an election, the extra revenue goes away July 1, and billions of dollars in deeper cuts loom.
Democratic lawmakers who are already gritting their teeth over the $12.5 billion they've had to cut so far are warning Brown that it may be time to wake up to the likelihood that the Republicans will never cut a deal.
"Every day that passes is a day lost," San Francisco state Sen. Mark Leno told the governor.
It's also clear that neither Brown nor the Legislature has a Plan B if the taxes don't make the ballot.
Rough ride: It's been a rough few days for Muni head Nathaniel Ford - and it could get even rougher come Tuesday when he goes behind closed doors with his bosses to discuss his future.
At a minimum, directors of the Municipal Transportation Agency are going to want a commitment from Ford to stop shopping around for another job.
But that might not be enough.
"The MTA is facing a lot of challenges, from labor negotiations to the Central Subway," Mayor Ed Lee said. "We need leadership at the top that is 150 percent focused on the tasks at hand, both short term and in the long run."
Ford's favorability ratings here in San Francisco dropped sharply after his ill-fated attempt to land a job as airports director in Washington, D.C.
For one, it was revealed that Ford owed $70,000 in back federal taxes. Despite that, he appeared to be on track for the new job, which got San Francisco City Hall drawing up a list of possible replacements.
All of it came crashing down Wednesday when, while back in Washington with board members to push for Central Subway funding, Ford got a text message from airport folks telling him they were putting their offer on hold.
A few hours later, just as he was about to meet with Sen. Barbara Boxer, Ford got a second text, telling him that Washington was starting a whole new search - effectively leaving both him and Muni in limbo.
Ford could not be reached Friday for comment.
Psst: President Obama will be heading to California next month to talk up the economy and attend a pair of fundraisers: one in San Francisco on April 20 and another the next day in Los Angeles. There will also be a public rally the afternoon of the 21st in L.A.
No further details just yet - we'll let you know when we have more info.
City search: Word is that Oakland Mayor Jean Quan's first choice for city administrator got a sweeter offer to stay put and not make the switch.
Meanwhile, the City Council has made it clear that it's not going to simply rubber-stamp the mayor's pick. Council members want a chance, one by one, to interview the candidate - which apparently prompted Quan to put the brakes on bringing any name forward for now.
Irish eyes: Construction workers on the Central Subway got an unexpected St. Patrick's Day treat: a free lunch courtesy of the Westin St. Francis Hotel.
The table tale began the day before when Supervisor Sean Elsbernd did a walk-through of the setup for the annual Hibernian-Newman Club luncheon at Union Square.
It was pretty clear that the jackhammers at Geary and Stockton streets were going to drown out the speakers, who would include several of the city's leading pols.
Elsbernd asked if the work could be put on hold for a couple of hours. The city said yes, and the nearby St. Francis sweetened the treat with free eats for the crews.
Corned beef and cabbage, of course.
Quote of the week: "It's like having Fox News blasting in one ear and NPR blasting in the other - nonstop." - State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, on the budget votes in Sacramento.
EXTRA! Catch our blog at www.sfgate.com/matierandross.
Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or e-mail matierandross@sfchronicle.com.
This article appeared on page C - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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