Posted on 02/07/2005 5:21:16 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SOMETHING VERY ODD is happening up Sacramento way, and it concerns our own Governator, the Arnold himself. Arnold was finally forced by campaign laws to fess up to how much money he has been raising recently. Now, we have all been vaguely aware of the pile of sawbucks that our anointed leader has raised. But the hard, cold reality of it burst onto the scene this week.
Are you sitting down for this? You really should be, so I will wait. OK, here we go. Last year the big Moneynator raised $33 million. Sadly, he is now destitute, that impressive amount reduced to a paltry $2 million today. However, this is not as big a problem for the Fundinator as it would be for you or me. He simply announced that he was planning to raise another $50 million. Yes, you did read that correctly -- fifty million smackers. Obviously, Gray Davis' crime in the eyes of this administration was not that he liked to raise money -- he simply wasn't raising enough.
All told, the ATMinator is going to bag $83 million dollars in a two-year period. This is obscene enough, but let's inject a little context into this, just to make your blood boil a little more. You remember the 527 committees from the recent presidential election, the tax-exempt political advocacy groups? Groups like MoveOn.org, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the rest of the political funding fun from last year? Well, do you know where Arnold's $83 million would place him on the list of 527s? Number one, with a bullet. That's right, he has raised more money than the aforementioned twosome. He has also raised more than better known groups like the American Federation of City, County and Municipal Employees ($25 million). The Service Employees International Union couldn't come close, either ($42 million). How about the granddaddy of them all, the Sierra Club? Rank amateurs who couldn't even break $9 million. That group is obviously populated by girly-boys who can't rake it in like Arnold can.
Why should this concern us? Because this money is going to be spent to circumvent the very state government the Governator is supposed to be running. His method for governing to date has been problematic at best. First you announce, then you disparage, and then you punt. If the legislators in the Capitol don't want to go along with your plans, then take it to the people. Appear in shopping malls and town squares and turn the issue into a state proposition. People seem to love this. It makes Arnold seem like a man of the people, more concerned with us than the dunderheads in Sacramento.
But stop and think about this for a moment. We elected those people for a reason. In a representative government, our politicians are supposed to be the ones drafting, debating and ultimately passing our laws, not you and me and Elmer down at the corner grocery. Can you expertly discuss the intricacies of the current budget debate? Don't worry, neither can I. But if our governor has his way, we are going to be voting on all of this. And here's why: By engineering an end-run around Sacramento, Arnold doesn't actually have to govern. You remember your grade school civics lesson, that whole checks-and-balances routine, the legislative and the executive branches -- this rings a bell, right? Suddenly we have a new situation here in our golden state where the governor wants us to replace the Legislature. Appearing in parking malls is a lot more fun than sitting through committee meetings, apparently.
For this to work, though, you need to build the world's biggest megaphone, a message-and-positioning machine that can drown out the reality of this situation. How much does this cost in today's marketplace? I am thinking $83 million should do it. But the money parade does not stop there. This hits us all in the collective pocketbook directly. If the Puntinator gets his special election this fall, it will be the fourth major statewide election in the last three years. You want to know what yet another special election this fall will cost us? Try around $50 million. It just keeps getting better.
Are you getting a little concerned? So am I. Let's bypass the whole issue of influence right now and just concentrate on the end result. We are in a strange place where the governor of our state has almost become a 527 committee himself. The governor's ability to raise money is suddenly influencing legislation more than our elected officials are, and it threatens to reduce every issue to a blizzard of state propositions. Maybe, just maybe, it is time for the Governator to put out the cigars, take a pass on the glossy political mailers and get to work. Sometimes, we really do want our politicians to be politicians.
There is an interesting paradox. Dianne Feinstein would like to be Governor, but dones't want to face Schwarzeneger. I've read, Schwarzeneger has had passing thoughts about being a Senator, but doesn't want to face Feinstein. It would be nice if they could run for each other's offices (one less filibuster of Constitutionalist judges).
I would loove to write Ah-nold a check just to piss this guy off.
Go Arnold....
I thought that's what the article was about?
I noticed Caen as the last name, not sure if there is any relation to Herb Caen, however. I doubt it, but could be wrong.
This is from the new and improved and now more conservative than ever SF newspaper.
I'll keep an eye out for that article next week, btw. :)
Cool
wow...another Calif hater....how original....seems like MOST newspapers have a liberal bent to them.....your disdain is well noted
The author, who likely feels threatened by the Governor's ability to raise funds that will not be expended his way, is reduced to merely raising Caen...
We are in a strange place where the governor of our state has almost become a 527 committee himself.
Chirstopher Caen- The Comunist-ator for the Rag-inators.
FYI. Herb's been dead for several years now.
-----
Yup. Herb's passing was a great loss to the state and world as a whole, and to the city called 'Baghdad by the Bay'. ;)
The ultimate check and balance is the citizen. If the legislature is the problem, sign a petition, write a check!
"Are you getting a little concerned?"
No.
Good. Arnolds better than anyone the democrats have ever put up.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.