Critics want to see results from president’s promise

Tuesday, July 29, 1997 | 12:05 p.m.

Clinton concluded the Lake Tahoe Presidential Forum with a promise to double federal spending in the basin over the next two years, and signed an executive order that requires federal agencies to come up with further actions after 90 days of study.

"It was bipartisan consensus-building from the ground up," said U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., after the forum.

While all four U.S. senators from California and Nevada are Democrats, all other federal and state elected officials representing Lake Tahoe are Republicans.

Some were willing to give the president the benefit of the doubt, but others viewed his commitment to Lake Tahoe as political grandstanding.

"Bill Clinton is going to distribute money up here ... that is what he does," said California Assemblyman Thomas "Rico" Oller, whose 4th District includes the Tahoe Basin. "He brings the bacon and the pork to the community."

Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., praised the president for looking to Tahoe Basin residents for his solutions.

"After a great deal of discussion of who would be included and who would be excluded, they tried to bring in all the interested parties," Gibbons said. "That was a remarkable success. I'm very pleased they recognized local solutions."

Others held back on commenting on the president's plan, saying the proof would only be evident over time.

"These people are political. He's a good talker and the speech sounded good," said Rep. John Doolittle, R-Roseville, who represents California's 4th Congressional District. "But as Richard Nixon said, 'It's not what you say, it's what you do.' We'll see what the follow-up is."

Steve Schmidt, a spokesman for California state Sen. Tim Leslie, R-Carnelian Bay, expressed a similar sentiment.

"The president is pretty good at making sound bites and making a lot of promises," Schmidt said. "But when the TV is turned off, sometimes his promises fall flat."

Yet, Schmidt said Leslie is hopeful the president will deliver on his promises.

"If it works out as well as it sounds on paper, we will be thrilled," Schmidt said.

A member of California Gov. Pete Wilson's administration lashed out at Clinton's plan calling it an inadequate commitment.