That's the assessment of Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata when it comes to the buzz word of 2006: infrastructure.

The Oakland Democrat spent about 45 minutes in a conference call with reporters today, in advance of this week's escalation of the infrastructure debate. On Thursday, a conference committee of both chambers is scheduled to begin sorting through Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's $222 billion infrastructure plan and variations proposed by Democrats.

Perata is perhaps the lead Democrat on all things infrastructure, having begun talking about his own proposal a year ago. He also took the unusual step late last week of launching a small but much-talked about TV ad campaign for his own infrastructure plan. You can see those ads here.

The Senate leader's discussion today ranged from keeping expectations realistic to virtual rejections of some ideas floated by the governor and legislative Republicans.

Some highlights:

*Port Security: To hear Perata tell it, there is so little security at the state's ports that the phrase is almost an oxymoron. "I'm baffled that they turn you upside down and shake you like a bat in order to get on a commercial airline," he said, "but you could take a dirty bomb, or any kind of a bomb, and drive it into a port and leave it there." He identified the ports as a key area in need of money.

*Levies Before Dams: Perata seemed to reject ideas that flood and water proposals should also include new dams and water storage, when so many levies are in danger. "Why don't we [first] try to prevent the water we have from leaking the hell all over the place?", he said.

*No Thanks: While Senator Perata took great pains to say how close he believes Democrats and the governor are on an overall package, he did point out some Schwarzenegger proposals that sound pretty much dead on arrival. Perata said bond money for prison construction was unlikely (in his words a "very, very low priority"). He also spoke at length about the governor's proposal to place a 6% cap on the amount of the state's General Fund that can go towards paying off borrowing.

"I believe debt ceilings are pandering to the public," said Perata, who continued by voicing opposition to anything that limits the state's ability to invest in what's most needed.

Perata also was the second Democratic leader in less than a week to reject a GOP proposal (ACA 27- McCarthy) to pay for more of the infrastructure needs with existing cash, and therefore less borrowing-- the so-called "pay as you go" option.

Calling such proposals "nonsense," Perata said they're also not realistic: "You don't buy your house pay as you go, most people don't buy a vehicle pay as you go, and those are the two biggest expenditures that the average household faces."

*Carpe Diem: The Senate leader sounded as though he wouldn't bet big on an infrastructure bond getting on the June 6 ballot (that would mean the proposal has to clear the Capitol by March 10), but he also said that if legislators move too slowly, it will only invite more interest groups to begin demanding their own pieces of the pie. "The longer we delay, the more mischief there is," he said.