McClintock Ping List.
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Posted on 11/03/2006 12:26:27 PM PST by calcowgirl
OAKLAND — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appreciates the Republican lieutenant governor nominee's opinion that the infrastructure bonds on next week's ballot are a mistake but believes he's "totally wrong."
"If you went with his way of thinking, you would never rebuild California," the governor said Thursday of state Sen. Tom McClintock as he visited the Port of Oakland to stump for the $37 billion bond package.
With California's population continuing to swell, "we can't continue waiting; we have to build now," Schwarzenegger said, estimating the state's economy is only "70 percent living up to our potential" because it can't move goods and people fastenough.
Proposition 1B is a $20 billion transportation infrastructure bond which would provide money to relieve highway congestion, improve public transit and reduce air pollution, particularly at California's ports.
Harold Jones, the Port of Oakland's deputy executive director for external affairs, said while introducing the governor Thursday that the port is the nation's fourth-busiest container port and has spent millions on improving air quality, but to keep doing so needs federal, state and local support like that which Proposition 1B would provide.
McClintock: Several propositions wasteful
Known as one of the Legislature's foremost fiscal conservatives, McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, contends Proposition 1B; Proposition 1C, a $3 billion affordable-housing bond; and Proposition 1D, a $10 billion school construction and renovation bond, put too little money into projects that will last a generation, squandering too much on ongoing program costs and routine maintenance.
He supports only Proposition 1E, the $4 billion levee and flood-control bond, and Proposition 1A, which would prevent existing gas-tax revenue from being diverted from transportation projects.
Garamendi supports entire package
The race between McClintock and Democratic lieutenant governor nominee John Garamendi, currently the state's insurance commissioner, is seen as one of California's tightest contests. Garamendi supports the whole infrastructure bond package.
Asked why voter support for these measures has been relatively soft despite their bipartisan backing and lack of organized opposition, Schwarzenegger replied Thursday that "no one has concentrated that much on it, there hasn't been that much information out there" until recent weeks.
The more voters learn about the package, the more likely they are to support it, he said, noting the bipartisan spirit behind the package is practically unknown right now in other states, or on the national political stage.
Earlier Thursday, Schwarzenegger touted the bond package in Prunedale, near Salinas, before being joined by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., for a $1,000-a-plate fundraising luncheon at San Francisco's St. Regis Hotel.
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Angelides' campaign issued a memo wondering whether McCain — who in the Senate has championed campaign-finance reform — is comfortable with Schwarzenegger's record-breaking fundraising, now at more than $113.4 million since 2003.
At an event at the Port of Oakland today promoting his infrastructure bonds, Schwarzenegger was asked what he thought of Tom McClintock's opposition. The goveror said he "appreciates" McClintock's point of view, but "he is totally wrong on that one. If you go with his way of thinking we would never rebuild California."
The problem with the pay-as-you-go approach supported by McClintock and others, Schwarzenegger said, is that there are always competing priorities that stake a claim on the state's operating budget. The only way to get significant money for infrastructure, in his view, is to borrow it and then force lawmakers to spend the money required to pay it back.
"The politicians would never put that money aside for infrastracture if we don't commit to these things," he said.
McClintock Ping List.
Please freepmail me if you want on or off this list
I heard on the John and Ken show that out of the $70 billion or so in transportation dollars, all LA will get is a carpool lane one direction on the 405 for a few miles and an expanded shoulder at some random exit on the 5. Yeah, that's sure worth mortgaging our future over.
BTTT
I can't afford a BMW so I'm going to go buy an M3 and put it on my credit cards. That's the only way to get significant money for a BMW, is to borrow it and then force myself to spend the money required to pay it back. Give me a break Arnold.
Sorry Gov, I'm with Tom on this one.
Another reason not to vote for Arnold. Who is a good protest candidate?
Arnold to be on with John and Ken today.
Art Olivier of the Libertarian Party or Edward Noonan of the American Independent Party.
There was an interesting quiz posted last month that asks 5 questions and then tells you which candidate most closely resembles your priorities.
The site is from So Cal Public Radio (scpr.org).
http://www.scpr.org/features/2006/election_2006/candidate/index.php
A few of us took the quiz and posted our results, summarized below:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1720659/posts?page=52#52
There is a lot of money in the Transportation bond (Prop 1B) for inner-city rail projects in Los Angeles.
Noting of course that Olivier is proabortion and Noonan is prolife. The importance of selecting one of these instead of writing in some name is that these will be counted but a made-up write-in will not be counted by law.
For a second there, I thought that Arnold was defending the *.
Noonan.
I wish there was some way to make Arnie sweat. Problem is that even many democrats hate Angelides. At least I will be able to say I voted against a RINO.
Which is why I lean towards Noonan.
...and taking ccg's linked quiz just confirms that :-)
Arnold is pragmatically right about this. They'll just keep diverting money, deferring maintenance and underfunding. It's pathetic and outrageous but can be seen at every level of gov't.
He knows any attempts to shape the budget will bring forth a firestorm of half-truths, lies and disinformation like last year's attempt to take on the unions.
We need more prisons, legislature said NO WAY, Arnold contracts out to other states, unions sue!
It's up to the People whether to support the bonds. He's holding up his end of the "deal with the devil" but his top priority seemed to always be the levees bond.
I wonder which lt.gov candidate Arnold is going to vote for?
Art Olivier, the Losertarian.
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