One of the key behind-the-scenes players in the removal of Muni boss Nathaniel Ford was San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.

Lee barely said anything in public or directly to the Municipal Transportation Agency. But out of view, he made it clear that he wanted someone with a "150 percent commitment" to running Muni - and that Ford, with his constant job hunting, wasn't cutting it.

Lee's support for removing Ford at a cost of almost $400,000 was all the more interesting in light of the outgoing Muni boss' tight relationship with former Mayor Willie Brown - one of Lee's close advisers.

Lee has also been quietly pushing Department of Public Works Director Ed Reiskin, whom Lee hired, as Ford's replacement.

Whether Reiskin gets the nod remains to be seen - but transit commission Chairman Tom Nolan says that given the tight timeline and the wealth of local talent, there is no need for a national search.

Heere's Jerry: Gov. Jerry Brown's lightning veto of the state budget certainly upped his tough-guy image, but it also signaled the start of a real slugfest - with his fellow Democrats.

Brown's first move will be one final attempt to win over four Republican legislators for his tax extensions - something no one seriously thinks he can pull off.

Plan B is to go for an "all cuts" budget, which could result in laying off thousands of teachers and law enforcement personnel. "He's been pretty clear that people may have to feel the pain in order to see that it is real," one confidant said.

Maybe, but it's not something either Democrats or Republicans are likely to go for - so they might just tell him to do it on his own.

"The feeling is, 'You have the power. You want to cut deep - go ahead,' " said state Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco.

That could get ugly, with Brown threatening to veto lawmakers' pet bills unless they play ball, and lawmakers fighting back with their power over the governor's appointments.

In fact, state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg has already announced that he is halting consideration of Brown's commission and board selections for an "indefinite amount of time."

In other words, game on.

Chiang's call: Lawmakers may say publicly that the threat of not being paid doesn't play into the budget battle - but privately, it's very much on their minds.

And with good reason. Many live paycheck to paycheck, and they've already had their salaries whacked 18 percent in recent years and lost their free cars.

All of which means that state Controller John Chiang's call on whether what the lawmakers just passed was a balanced budget will go a long way toward determining what happens next.

Chiang, who many believe is planning a run for governor, says he'll withhold legislators' paychecks if he determines that what Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed was not a balanced spending plan. If that happens, the fight over the next plan will be brutal - but short.

If Chiang goes the other way, however, we're in for a long, hot summer.

Streets of gold: After years of budgetary neglect, San Francisco City Hall is asking voters for permission to borrow $248 million in bonds to fix the city's crumbling streets.

By the time the bonds are paid off with interest, they will wind up costing the city more like $437 million.

It also turns out that, under former Mayor Gavin Newsom, the Board of Supervisors borrowed $90 million for street repairs - which will cost $133 million by the time the bonds are paid back.

It could all have been done a lot more cheaply if the city had spent the $20 million to $30 million a year needed for street upkeep.

"Basically, we'll be paying about $1.85 for about $1 of street repair," said Public Works Director Ed Reiskin. "On the other hand, if we don't do it, the streets will continue to decline and the cost will go up to $4."

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