"SAN FRANCISCO -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger desperately wants a bill to fund an overhaul of the state's water system -- so much so he is hinting he may veto more than 700 bills awaiting his signature by midnight Sunday if top lawmakers fail agree to one.

The Republican governor's hardball politics may be what is needed to force the Democrat-led legislature to agree to a water bill, likely including billions of dollars of state bonds for infrastructure projects, analysts said on Wednesday.

'It will probably speed things up,' said Bob Stern of the Los Angeles-based Center for Governmental Studies."

Jim Christie writes for Reuters October 7, 2009. [2]