Posted on 11/21/2004 12:00:05 PM PST by calcowgirl
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 18 - After more than a year in office, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger still has not found a home in the capital city. He is holding out for a place with an easy commute and amenities appropriate to his ego and style.
And so, Mr. Schwarzenegger continues to split his week between Los Angeles and Sacramento, commuting by private jet. When in Sacramento, the governor stays at the Hyatt Hotel at a cost of $6,000 a month, paid for, until now, with campaign funds.
But state election law prohibits the practice after one year in office, which Mr. Schwarzenegger celebrated on Wednesday.
To have the governor of California living out of a steamer trunk, as rootless as a traveling brush salesman, is beneath the dignity of both the man and the office, some of his advisers say. To redress that, a nonprofit organization, the Governor's Residence Foundation, is soliciting private donations to pay for Mr. Schwarzenegger's accommodations while helping him find permanent housing.
(snip)
Mr. Schwarzenegger says he likes the hotel, but the lack of a prestigious address for the most important state in the Union will never do.
"This is California, and we should have a really fantastic place where we can entertain world leaders," Mr. Schwarzenegger said in a recent interview, describing imaginary grounds with a fountain, a circular driveway and hedgerows.
"It should have a room for dining and dancing and a place for after dinner,'' he said. "We could invite world leaders like the chancellor of Germany or the prime minister of South Africa."
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(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
"This is California, and we should have a really fantastic place where we can entertain world leaders,"
"We could invite world leaders like the chancellor of Germany or the prime minister of South Africa."
More presidential campaigning by our Governor? Hey Arnold, how about focusing on Kaleeeforneea for a change?
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I'm surprised they don't already have a house for the governor to live in. Each person has to buy their own home? Even though they may only serve 4 years? That's sounds rather burdonsome.
Over the past several years, private donors have made it possible to renovate Sacramento's Stanford Mansion -- owned by Leland Stanford (the university's builder and a California governor in the 1860s), it was a gubernatorial residence way back when, and is only a few blocks from the State Capitol.
That mansion is perfectly useful for official functions like receptions, dinners. etc. No need to build a residence.
Since he's only living in Sacramento four days a week, as the NYT reports, Arnold doesn't need a full-time home. Why waste taxpayer dollars on that? Besides, Arnold's not accepting money for the job -- take his salary, divide it by 12 and that easily covers the $6,000 a month hotel fee.
he can buy his own home - if he can't, he defintely does NOT meet the criteria of being a president
Read the entire article. There is no California Governor's Mansion other than the Victorian building in bad need of
restoration and repair. THe others have all been sold. I say Arnold can afford the hotel rate he's getting for the next 7 years. Now, if he has aspirations to move on to a higher position in the nation, he's pipe dreaming. IMO the best he's going to do is get an ambassadorship to somewhere.
Notice how the TIMES never calls him the Governor? Mr. Schwarzeneiger is the best they'll give him!
"soliciting private donations to pay for Mr. Schwarzenegger's accommodations "
no thanks. A guy who made 20 million a picture can afford his own place. And he should also put to rest the chattering about foreign born people becoming president. Although he is doing a good job for California, he is not presidential material. Reagan had respectable leadership credentials prior to becoming governor. Schwarzenegger had significant experience at celebrity banquets prior to becoming governor. He is no Reagan and shouldn't pretend to be.
What's the monthly cost of running Gracie Mansion in New York?
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