Free Republic

<p>Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is back on the campaign trail again this week, selling for his bonds plan. After five years of Gray Davis, who governed by holding his finger to the wind, it's good to see a governor out trying to build support for his program. The problem is that what Schwarzenegger is pushing isn't worth fighting for.</p>

<p>As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pushes a plan to put before voters two initiatives - a $15 billion bond and a spending cap - to fix the state's budget crisis, the state's Democrats are showing they have yet to understand the clear message of California voters: No new taxes. Had the public wanted tax increases to fix a problem caused by overspending, they would have voted differently in October.</p>

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The state Senate has turned down Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget package. That leaves little possibility for a last-minute agreement as the clock ticks toward Friday's midnight deadline to put measures on the March ballot. Senators vote 34-0 against the governor's plan to cap spending, with even Republicans voting no after the outcome became clear. The governor's bond measure also lost. At the same time, counter proposals from Democrats failed to get the two-thirds majorities needed for passage. Senate Republican leader Jim Brulte of Rancho Cucamonga is warning that Republicans will try to put an even tougher spending...

<p>After saying for weeks there would be no option for putting a big bond measure on the spring ballot, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger quietly gave the green light Friday to a plan to borrow $10.7 billion without voter approval.</p> <p>Last summer, the Legislature authorized the bond sale as part of the budget agreement signed by former Gov. Gray Davis. But taxpayer groups, as well as many Republican lawmakers, criticized the deal, saying borrowing of that magnitude should be approved by voters.</p>

Shortly before 8 p.m., the governor's proposal to borrow $15 billion was defeated in a Senate floor vote. The plan got only five votes, all from Democrats; all but one of the 15 Republicans abstained because of a lack of support for the governor's spending cap. There were 14 votes against the governor's proposal: those of 13 Democrats and Sen. Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks). The Democratic counterproposal also failed, receiving 23 Democratic votes — four short of the 27 required for two-thirds approval. McClintock voted against it, and the other Republicans abstained. Later, Senate Republicans changed their votes to send...

Schwarzenegger Aide Offers First List of Proposed Budget Cuts By DEAN E. MURPHY SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 25 — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's finance director asked lawmakers on Tuesday to approve a stark economic bailout package that includes sharp cuts in programs for the poor and the disabled while borrowing large amounts of money from transportation projects to cover other spending. The finance director, Donna Arduin, presented the Legislature with $3.8 billion in suggested cuts over the next year, the first specific reductions that Mr. Schwarzenegger has proposed since becoming governor on Nov. 17. Mr. Schwarzenegger, a Republican, had promised in his...

Schwarzenegger paroles woman who killed husband's mistress The Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Arnold Schwarzenegger has agreed to parole a woman who killed her husband's mistress in 1987, the second time in a week the newly elected governor has granted the release of a convicted murderer. Schwarzenegger's decision Wednesday marks a departure from former Gov. Gray Davis, who during his five years repeatedly refused to grant paroles approved by the state's Board of Prison Terms. Davis blocked all but eight of 294 paroles approved by the board in murder cases. He twice rejected parole for Rosario Munoz, the woman Schwarzenegger...

SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't have a backup plan if the Legislature or voters reject his proposal to sell $15 billion worth of bonds to pay off the state's existing deficit. "Failure is no option. It just doesn't exist," the Republican governor said Monday. Without a backup, he said, "That means it has to happen." To push the plan, which must be approved by the Legislature by midnight Friday, the new governor said he's ready to take his budget proposal to the voters in recalcitrant lawmakers' districts and he will invite legislators to join him in pushing the bond...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is on the campaign trail again, but this time he is trying to beat a Friday deadline to get his $15 billion bond measure on the March ballot. Schwarzenegger is telling Democratic lawmakers he wants to negotiate and compromise, but he's also taking the bond measure directly to voters. On Tuesday he campaigned for his budget plan in San Diego. The governor will spend much of the week on the stump, trying to persuade voters to pressure their lawmakers to put the bond measure on the March ballot. In order for the initiative to appear on the...

In true Hollywood-style and after much media speculation, Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his candidacy for Governor of California on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Aug. 6, 2003. California Recall: How Schwarzenegger Won the West is a political satire that tells the story of the most bizarre American election to date. High-profile celebrity with action-hero status - it doesn't get better than that. The world was watching. But as Schwarzenegger hit the campaign trail, were we just witnessing the cult fo celebrity? Director Alex Cooke filmed this extraordinary election campaign from the moment Schwarzenegger announced his candidacy through to his victory....

From: Marty Omoto, Legislative Director Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 5:06 PM Subject: CA UCP CAPITOL REPORT #176-2003: Senate Budget Subcommittee Hearing Rescheduled for 12/10 CALIFORNIA UCP CAPITOL REPORT #176-2003 DECEMBER 3, 2003 - Wednesday Senate Budget Subcommittee Hearing on Governor's Spending Cuts Including Lanterman Suspension, IHSS and Respite Program Elimination Scheduled for 12/10 Wednesday 11:00 AM - Protest Rally Set for 10 AM The Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services, chaired by Sen. Wes Chesbro (D-Arcata) has rescheduled the informational hearing on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's current year budget cuts for December 10, Wednesday morning at 11:00...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California lawmakers on Friday rejected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to use a $15 billion bond and a spending limit to solve California's fiscal crisis, marking the Republican's first defeat in his three weeks in office. Schwarzenegger had wanted lawmakers in the Democrat-controlled legislature to put the bond measure and a spending limit on the March ballot -- something the governor said was needed to help cover a budget shortfall estimated as high as nearly $20 billion. But even before a midnight deadline hit on Friday, talks between Schwarzenegger and top lawmakers aimed at reaching a deal...

Calif. (AP) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger quietly gave the green light Friday to a plan to borrow $10.7 billion without voter approval - a plan he had previously criticized. The plan was authorized by the Legislature last summer as part of the budget agreement signed by former Gov. Gray Davis. Schwarzenegger said shortly after being elected in the Oct. 7 recall election that voters should approve the bonds - and has said for weeks there would be no alternative to his proposal to put a $15 billion bond measure on the spring ballot. But Friday, members of the California Fiscal...

<p>Arnold Schwarzenegger considers himself a master strategist. But in the heat of his first legislative battle, he seems to have lost sight of what his goal really was. He ended up losing while fighting for something he didn't really need and might not have even wanted. Having morphed from Arnold Schwarzenegger into Gov. Schwarzenegger, he allowed himself to get sucked into the very kind of non-sensical partisan deadlock that, as a private citizen, he used to decry.</p>

<p>The Legislature failed to act by a Friday deadline on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's first steps for addressing the state's fiscal crisis, leading the new governor to threaten to take part of his plan directly to the voters in November. The Senate rejected bills that would have put the Republican governor's budget measures, including a $15 billion bond and a new spending limit, on the March 2 ballot.</p>

SACRAMENTO — Rebuffed by state lawmakers in an early test of his administration, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will now try to bypass the Legislature whenever feasible and tap into the public support he commands by bringing his agenda directly to the ballot, administration aides said Saturday. The governor, himself, remained publicly silent about Friday night's defeat of the state spending limit and $15 billion bond measure he had proposed. His aides, however, cast the votes as confirmation that the Legislature is ignoring the message of the Oct. 7th recall vote and the mandate they contend Schwarzenegger won. That campaign would...

<p>Have you ever had to make serious cuts -- 15% or more -- in your family budget because of an unexpected job -- loss or unforeseen expense? It's not pleasant, but it's not impossible. And it's also not permanent. As long as you're willing to face your financial problems squarely, you can be sure that the hard times won't last forever and things will improve.</p>

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to seek support — starting today — by holding several public rallies for a controversial plan to close budget gaps and shore up the state's finances. His appeal for broader backing comes as state Treasurer Phil Angelides, a Democrat expected to run for governor in 2006, is scheduled to launch today an advertising campaign against the $15-billion borrowing plan. This week, Schwarzenegger, who proposed cutting $4 billion from the state budget over the next four years, has stepped up his drive for a bond issue of up to $15 billion, as well as a spending cap...

<p>SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn in yesterday as the 38th governor of California, completing a meteoric rise from bodybuilder and action hero to leader of the nation's most populated state in a historic recall election.</p> <p>The 56-year-old Austrian immigrant took the oath of office on the steps of the Capitol before an audience of 7,500 dignitaries and supporters — as millions more around the world watched the event live on television.</p>

<p>SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Arnold Schwarzenegger's ascension to the top job in the nation's most populous state is the culmination of one of the most earthshaking political sagas ever witnessed in America. Even six months ago, it seemed unfathomable that a Republican movie star could oust Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, a 30-year political veteran just elected to a second term. Now the voter outrage that fueled the recall has catapulted Schwarzenegger into a position of changing the way political power is used in California and elsewhere. And that's exactly what he'll have to do to make good on the many promises he made during the recall campaign.</p>

The Schwartzeneggers check out their new digs (State Capitol in Sacramento). "Oh man…Mom and dad are kissing again…Yuck…" Mrs. Rick Fox (Vanessa Williams) sings the National Anthem…Sacramento Kings fans were not pleased. Gray Davis has his hand over his wallet. Arnold takes the oath, officially becoming “The Gubernator.” California’s First Lady to the Gubernator: “Did you like my poetry selection?” The clouds over Sacramento break to let the sunshine in as Arnold becomes Governor. Arnold to Gray Davis: "GET OUT." The Governor congratulated by California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George. Patrick Schwarzenegger 6, center, puts his hand over the...

<p>As the strains of "America the Beautiful" fell over a crowd just outside, Gray Davis took one last walk as governor down a long hallway to the Capitol's west steps, where on a cool November morning, his public life ended abruptly at 11:20 a.m.</p>

<p>I am humbled, I am moved — and I am honored beyond words to be your governor.</p> <p>To the thousands of you who came here today, I took this oath to serve you. To others all across this state — Democrats, Republicans, Independents — it makes no difference. I took this oath to serve you. To those who have no power, to those who have dropped out — too weary or disappointed with politics as usual — I took the oath to serve you. I say to everyone here today and to all Californians, I will not forget my oath and I will not forget you.</p>

Arnold Schwarzenegger will take the oath of office today at one of the most trouble-filled moments in California's modern history. In an unprecedented display of dissatisfaction, the voters have recalled the incumbent governor less than a year into his second term. The Legislature is incapacitated by partisan paralysis. The budget is submerged in red ink. Jobs are fleeing because of the high cost of doing business here, including a bloated workers' compensation system that threatens to bankrupt many small firms. And the state's economy is only beginning to show signs of rebounding from a prolonged slump. Yet, the actor-turned-officeholder exudes...

SACRAMENTO — After five years in office, Gray Davis leaves the Capitol today on an ignominious note, the only California governor ever recalled by voters. But far from being chastened, the 60-year-old Democrat has surprised longtime associates with a reaction that some characterize as deep denial of his fate. He has hinted at a political comeback — sometimes in a joking fashion, at other times seriously — noting that his removal from office so early in his second term means he still could serve another term as governor, said people close to Davis, all speaking on the condition of anonymity.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)--Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn in Monday as the 38th governor of California, completing a meteoric rise from bodybuilder and action hero to leader of the nation's most populated state in a historic recall election. The 56-year-old Austrian immigrant took the oath of office before an audience of 7,500 dignitaries and supporters on the steps of the Capitol--as millions more around the world watched the event live on television. Schwarzenegger's wife, Maria Shriver, held the Bible while California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George administered the oath. ``I am humbled, I am honored and I am moved beyond words...

HOWDY FOLKS - THIS IS THE OFFICIAL ARNOLD INAUGURATION DAY LIVE THREAD. PLEASE POST YOUR COMMENTS HERE BEGINNING AT 10:00 AM SHARP. THANKS

Schwarzenegger is planning to repeal the $4-billion car tax increase within hours of taking office — something he can do by direct executive action. He is to call a special legislative session beginning Tuesday, demonstrating that he is wasting no time before getting down to work. One of the issues he wants lawmakers to take up this week is repealing a new law that enables illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. The measure, SB 60, was signed in the thick of the recall campaign, and Davis' critics charge that he approved it to bolster support among Latino voters. Democratic support...

Nov 17, 1:32 am ET By Adam Tanner SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - Arnold Schwarzenegger was upbeat and in a joking mood as he met friends and supporters late on Sunday on the eve of becoming California governor after a remarkable career change. "I want to laugh it up and say thank you and I will see all of you tomorrow," the former bodybuilder and actor told his high-powered transition team at a night meeting in Sacramento. "The serious work will begin from tomorrow on." In a ceremony before about 7,500 invited guests, four past California governors and some Hollywood celebrities...

POLITICAL MUSCLE: Former LA Mayor Richard Riordan (l.) will be California's education secretary, a move analysts call smart political calculus. LOU DEMATTEIS/REUTERS LOS ANGELES – In the normal meet-and-greet world of government, where a handshake and a smile can be the currency of consensus, the gesture might have been seen as thoughtful, but not unusual. Yet in the partisan dysfunction that has come to characterize California politics, it was an act of startling boldness. Two weeks after his recall victory, Republican governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger and members of his transition team walked the halls of the Capitol, meeting for a...

Wilson agreed with Brown that Schwarzenegger had made a good start toward toning down the partisanship in Sacramento. But, he said, the onus is now on Democrats in the Legislature to cooperate with the new administration. If they don't, he said, Schwarzenegger should follow through on threats to use the initiative process to bring issues directly to the voters. "He really has no alternative," Wilson said. "But I think there are a number of Democrats who are, as they should be, impressed by the magnitude of his victory. I mean, I think there is a pretty clear lesson." Wilson said...

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) - The Republican-drafted federal energy bill has raised the ire of California's Democratic legislators, who contend it jeopardizes the environment, subsidizes Midwestern states and does little to prevent the type of misconduct that fueled the state's energy crisis.</p>

<p>California voters have chosen you to replace a man who came to be intensely disliked for his passive, risk-shunning, vision-free approach to governing this most populous, most diverse -- and therefore most-difficult-to-manage -- state. And by that action, Californians have declared that they want a governor who accepts the responsibility to manage the state's affairs; they want results, not platitudes, promises or evasions.</p>

<p>As with Schwarzenegger, he was met with a stark reality and hard choices.</p> <p>When Arnold Schwarzenegger is sworn in as California's 38th governor Monday morning, he'll be staring at much the same type of intractable mess his hero, Ronald Reagan, faced when he took office in 1967.</p>

<p>The inauguration of Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor will transform the Bay Area into California's political orphan. The Bay Area will be left out of the new administration in much the same way as California as a whole has been ignored by the Bush White House.</p>

SACRAMENTO — As Arnold Schwarzenegger makes final preparations to take office as governor on Monday, the California political establishment is scrambling to adjust to the abrupt shift of power from Democrats to Republicans. The inauguration of the Republican governor before thousands of spectators outside the domed Capitol in Sacramento will end five years of near-total Democratic Party control of state government. Even if Schwarzenegger is not the ideological match of the Capitol's conservative Republicans, his takeover of the governor's U-shaped office suite ensures a radical change in the political dynamics of Sacramento. Elected in a historic voter revolt against his...

Revelation a wrinkle in Schwarzenegger's plan to repeal licensing fee hike SACRAMENTO -- Though part of Republican Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger's No. 1 campaign promise, millions of California motorists paying tripled car-tax bills since Oct. 1 won't get rebates -- unless a Democrat-dominated Legislature agrees to them. The first official disclosure of the little-known hitch in Schwar-zenegger's vow to roll back vehicle license fees came in an interview Friday with the Legis-lature's independent, nonpartisan fiscal analyst. The assessment by Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill puts motorists -- and their pocketbooks -- directly in the middle of what's likely to be an imme-...

<p>SAN JOSE - In his final speech before Monday's inaugural, Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger told several hundred business leaders Friday night that the state's economy will not recover unless Silicon Valley's high technology-based economy does.</p> <p>Earlier in the day, the Republican governor-to-be also announced he would name a top aide in the administration of former Gov. Pete Wilson to the state's top health and human services post.</p>

We have opened this website because of the imminent danger to the implementation of Senate Bill 60, which permits all eligible applicants, irrespective of their immigration status, to obtain a California driver's license or identification card. Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger has made repeated declarations that he intends on repealing SB60 upon assuming his position of governor on November 15, 2003, even though he is obligated by his sworn duty to uphold the laws of the state. (see article in LA Times, date) Additionally, the California Republican Assembly, an organization of conservative Republicans, is presently circulating a petition to place a ballot...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - (KRT) - When word went out last month that Arnold Schwarzenegger would make an impromptu appearance in Silicon Valley, the phones began ringing as top tech executives clamored for details. Seventy showed up the next day. Gray Davis never generated that kind of buzz. Then again, the incoming governor is the most famous American actor to trade the screen for elected office. In his new role, Schwarzenegger will have an extraordinary opportunity - given his convincing victory in a historic recall election, his global celebrity and his vow to act - to bring actual change to Sacramento....

<p>Sixty-two billion. That’s the number the Schwarzenegger team wants you to remember. It doesn’t have a whole lot of real-world significance, but you will probably be hearing it plenty just the same. It’s the number Schwarzenegger auditor (and Finance Director-designee) Donna Arduin has come up with to describe what would happen if the new governor, after rescinding the tripling of the car tax, left the rest of state spending and revenues on auto pilot throughout the three-year term to which he was elected. The $62 billion is the total of the annual deficits that would ensue under that scenario.</p>

SACRAMENTO – In a stunning move hailed by tribal attorneys, Gov. Gray Davis yesterday waived a mandate to shore up weak environmental protections in the state's Indian gambling agreements. The last-minute decision by the outgoing governor means the state has voluntarily given up a major piece of leverage in a broader effort to renegotiate the tribal compacts. Davis, a Democrat who was recalled on Oct. 7, will leave office Monday, when Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger is sworn in. Schwarzenegger has vowed to renegotiate all 65 compacts that Davis signed during the past four years. Davis said Schwarzenegger was consulted and "does...

Reuters, 11.15.03, 8:17 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Just two days before Arnold Schwarzenegger is scheduled to be sworn in as governor of California, his chief budget advisor said on Saturday the new administration would face a "staggering" deficit that will grow to $62 billion by 2006-07 if left unchecked. The figures, released by finance director-designate Donna Arduin, portray a state in financial disarray. The assessment follows a report on Friday by legislative analyst Elizabeth Hill that showed a similarly dire situation. "We knew that this was going to be bad, but this is staggering," said Arduin,...

California's economy has turned a corner but the billions in extra tax revenue will be dwarfed by a deficit that could reach $14 billion next year, Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill reported Friday. In issuing the first cautiously optimistic economic assessment in more than two years, Hill stressed that spending still will outstrip revenues next year and urged lawmakers not to rely on borrowing to close the gap. The state's fiscal problems could be increased by $4 billion a year if Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger repeals an increase in the vehicle license fee, as he has pledged to do when he is...

<p>LOS ANGELES (AP) - The mighty tycoon in "Citizen Kane" had a little wooden sled to remind him of his humble origins. Citizen Arnold Schwarzenegger has the old M47 tank from his early years in the Austrian military. That's just one example of the appetite for extremes that the new governor of California will bring to Sacramento, where he'll be sworn into office Monday. There, the tanned, Armani-clad action star will mingle and make policy with the rumpled suits of the state Legislature.</p>

Davis Declares State of Emergency in LA California's Gray Davis Declares State of Emergency in Part of Storm Damaged Los Angeles County The Associated Press LOS ANGELES Nov. 15 — In one of his last acts before leaving office, Gov. Gray Davis declared a state of emergency in part of Los Angeles County pounded by a freak hailstorm that deluged the community of Watts with 5 inches of rain and hail in two hours. "I looked up at the sky and said, 'God, please let this be the last disaster of my term,'" Davis said Friday, speaking at the county...

Governor elect Arnold Schwarzenegger's choice to head California's environmental protection agency has slammed the Bush administration for alleged failure to curb greenhouse gasses or prevent the kind of forest fires that have been ravaging southern California and much of the West. Blithely ignoring the fact that experts have laid the blame for the uncontrolled blazes at the feet of environmentalists who have prevented the U.S. Forest Service from taking effective fire prevention measures such as clearing out dead trees and dry underbrush from forests, Terry Tamminen, executive director of Environment Now, criticized President Bush's so-called Healthy Forests Initiative which...

Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger named the head of a Santa Monica conservation group his secretary of environmental protection Wednesday but appointed a North Coast timber company executive as the agency's second-in-command. Schwarzenegger's appointment of Terry Tamminen to head the state Environmental Protection Agency had been expected and was broadly cheered by environmentalists. But the governor-elect turned in a different direction for the agency's No. 2 slot, naming James Branham, government affairs chief at Pacific Lumber and an official in former Gov. Pete Wilson's administration, as Cal-EPA's undersecretary. Schwarzenegger appointed another onetime Wilson official, Los Angeles attorney Maureen Gorsen, as the agency's...

<p>SACRAMENTO -- Arnold Schwarzenegger will usher in a new era Monday when he takes office as California's first governor elected in a recall campaign.</p> <p>His victory has created high expectations for success in dealing with entrenched problems from budget deficits to the high cost of workers' compensation.</p>

California's economy added 34,800 jobs in October, the biggest one-month hiring binge in nearly three years. The government's report Friday raised hopes that the state's long-awaited employment recovery had begun. Last month's job increases were spread across a variety of industries, including business and professional services, construction and tourism, the state Employment Development Department said.