Posted on 08/08/2010 9:26:32 AM PDT by SmithL
Arnold Schwarzenegger came into the governorship seven years ago believing that he could succeed where his predecessors had failed in dealing with California's thorniest issues.
He'll leave office in a few months, having learned the hard way that California is difficult, and perhaps impossible, to govern.
Its ever-expanding economic and cultural complexity collides with a politics so ossified and diffused, with so many officeholders and institutions sharing authority, that no one is truly accountable for outcomes.
Schwarzenegger offered his take on that dysfunction during a presentation in Fresno the other day, a truncated version of which follows:
"There is no one in the state that tries to derail the state or state government, but over the years, with the initiative process and with the legislators … laws were created that made it somewhat dysfunctional …
"You have a governor that is being elected by the people where the people say, 'Terminator, you go to Sacramento and you clean house.'
"But then they give you … a controller that is a Democrat. Then they give you a treasurer that is a Democrat. Then they give you Jack O'Connell, who is in charge of education, who is a Democrat. Then they give you a secretary of state that is a Democrat. So they surround you with people that have a totally different interest than you have. So how are you going to win?
"Then the initiative process makes it very challenging, when you go and say 'OK, we are not going to spend any more money.' But you can have some person go out there and pass an initiative that makes the state obligated to spend another $5 billion.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Don’t care how he goes, as long as he is gone.
Maybe their next governor will have better luck! I know, try not to laugh.
Don’t go away frustrated Jerkinator. Just go away.
Well Arnie you caved to the liberal left in Cali and effectively became one of them.
Pretty sure nobody can fix California now... so while Ahnuld wasn’t a very good governor and sold out on a number of issues, I don’t think anyone else could do a lot better in that state (because anyone competent would not be elected.)
The guy could have taken the bull by the horns. He didn’t even try.
He’s the worst governor in California history, and believe me, he’s not the only person frustrated by his failures.
I voted for the guy. The thanks I got was watching him do his best impression of Ted Kennedy.
Now we’re moving on to the Meg and Jerry show. Is there a way to have a new show canceled before it airs?
He would been okay, if he hadn’t turned into a waffle-fry. As it was, the mess that is California is far worse, thanks to him. I wish I had kinder words to say, but no.
Frustration, I thought I was going to read the word FAILURE
Hmmmm. How did Reagan do it then?
He WON’T be baaaackk.
He didn’t cave. He never WAS a Conservative, but an Austrian Socialist. I told everyone that in 2003, but would the R’bots and sycophants listen ? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. 4 words: I told you so.
His replacement will be even worse.
Arnold, the ultimate girly man. Listened to Maria instead of Reagan.
...So how are you going to win?
Send in a clone of Chris Christie!
depart in frustration?....sounds like most of California’s small businesses.
The two main things that is killing CA are illegal aliens and the massive bureaucracies that squash private sector growth. It takes up to 9 months to open a business in CA, compared to 30 days in most other states.
What Arnold should have done is told the unions to renegotiate or get canned. Next, he should have resurrected the appeals on Prop 187 and did what AZ is doing.
But that was based on the premise that Arnold was actually a Republican. Arnold was advised by his leftist wife and completely caved. Arguably, he's the most failed politician in the nation after Obama and probably Granholm of MI.
"But then they give you … a controller that is a Democrat. Then they give you a treasurer that is a Democrat. Then they give you Jack O'Connell, who is in charge of education, who is a Democrat. Then they give you a secretary of state that is a Democrat.So he became one too and now he has to leave not in frustration, but in shame.
Arnold sleeps with the enemy.
Cut to the chase here: wildly popular and successful at getting elected - Mr. Popular himself - but utterly useless at all the attributes of leadership.
Arnold should leave embarrassed to show his RINO head in public. He had a chance to help California, and he chose to become part of the problem.
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