Free Republic

SACRAMENTO — Secretary of Veterans Affairs Maurice Johannessen, who as a state senator angered fellow Republicans by twice voting for Democrat Gov. Gray Davis' budgets, said Wednesday that he had been fired by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The governor appointed Leo Tuttle, a retired Air Force colonel and former deputy secretary of the veterans department in the Pete Wilson administration, as the interim head of the agency. Johannessen charged that his removal Monday night was a payback by influential GOP senators because he broke ranks with them on the 2001 and 2002 budgets. "I was told that I was the No....

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT STATE OF CALIFORNIA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXECUTIVE ORDER S-2-03 by the Governor of the State of California WHEREAS, State Government should be dedicated to provide certainty for the regulated communities as well as meaningful and fair public participation in government decisions which impact the cost of doing business in California; WHEREAS, the express language of the California Administrative Procedure Act declares that "There has been an unprecedented growth in the number of administrative regulations in recent years;" WHEREAS, the increased costs associated with California's regulatory environment have diminished competition in the national and global marketplaces for the State's goods and...

Gov. Schwarzenegger Calls for Review of State Regulations 11/17/2003 SACRAMENTO Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued an executive order suspending all proposed state regulations and calling for the review of all regulations adopted, amended or repealed in the last five years. Under the Executive Order, all proposed regulations will be suspended for 180 days pending a thorough review. In addition, each agency will also conduct a 90-day review of all regulations adopted, amended or repealed in the last five years to determine if they are necessary, clear, consistent and are not unnecessarily burdensome or cause undue harm to California's economy....

Gov. Schwarzenegger Announces 'California Recovery Plan' 11/18/2003 Calls on Legislature to Repeal SB60, Pass Workers Compensation Reform, Structural Budget Reforms SACRAMENTO Gov. Schwarzenegger unveiled his "California Recovery Plan," and called on the Legislature to repeal SB60, pass meaningful workers compensation reform and structural budget reforms so the state no longer spends more money than the state receives. "I will not shrink from the challenge or shirk my responsibility to the people of California. So today I want to detail my California recovery plan." said Schwarzenegger. Gov. Schwarzenegger laid out three separate reform packages as part of the "California Recovery...

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT STATE OF CALIFORNIA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- P R O C L A M A T I O N by the Governor of the State of California WHEREAS, an extraordinary occasion has arisen and now exists requiring that the Legislature of the State of California be convened in extraordinary session; now therefore, I, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor of the State of California, by virtue of the power and authority vested in me by Section 3(b) Article IV of the Constitution of the State of California, do hereby convene the Legislature of the State of California to meet in extraordinary session at Sacramento,...

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT STATE OF CALIFORNIA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXECUTIVE ORDER S-1-03 by the Governor of the State of California Whereas, California has relied upon a motor vehicle tax in the form of a license fee as a substitute for ad valorem property taxes upon motor vehicles since 1935; Whereas, at the time it was instituted, the motor vehicle tax was 1.75% of a vehicle's current value; Whereas, in 1948 the motor vehicle tax was raised to 2% of a vehicle's current value; Whereas, the revenue from the motor vehicle tax fees is distributed to cities and counties to fund operations of local...

<p>Arnold Schwarzenegger believes in miracles. It's hard to fault him for that, given how far he has come. The son of Graz, Austria, who willed himself to become a world-champion body builder and a world-famous actor, stood on the steps of California's Capitol Monday and took the oath as governor of the nation's most populous state, home to the world's sixth-largest economy.</p>

Shortly after the 45-minute ceremony on the west steps of the Capitol, the new governor delivered on that promise, issuing Executive Order 1, which repealed the $4-billion increase that had been approved by the man he replaced — Gray Davis. It was the first of a series of rapid-fire actions meant to draw a clear contrast with a Davis administration renowned for its caution. Schwarzenegger issued proclamations to convene a trio of special sessions of the Legislature aimed at overturning a new law that allows illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses, cutting workers' compensation costs and capping state spending. In...

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...

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...

At 11 a.m. today, Arnold Schwarzenegger will place his hand on a Bible and take the oath of office as California's 38th governor. It will be a simple, no-frills ceremony, his advisors say. All right, so there will be a few brass bands. Seven thousand or so invited guests. A five-story camera riser groaning with the weight of an international press corps. Live, national television coverage. A flotilla of satellite trucks. Every living former governor of California, with the sole exception of Ronald Reagan. Both houses of the Legislature. A Hollywood contingent expected to include Tom Arnold, Jamie Lee Curtis,...

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...

Secretary of State Kevin Shelley made it official Friday: Action movie hero Arnold Schwarzenegger won the Oct. 7 recall election and can take the oath of office for his new role as governor of California. Shelley's staff canvassed vote results from all 58 counties, then the secretary certified the election in a brief ceremony in his Capitol office with a few photographers looking on. "This certification brings closure to an election that garnered worldwide attention, and resulted in record voter registration and absentee ballot application requests," Shelley said. The secretary said 15.4 million Californians registered and more than 61% cast...

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...

For Schwarzenegger, sources said, the closed-door sessions became another lesson in just how limited his options will be in addressing the budget crisis if he is to keep his campaign promises to repeal a recent tripling of the state vehicle license fee, avoid tax increases and still not disturb education programs long championed by the governor-elect. The sessions took place only hours after another private meeting in which about a dozen economists told Arduin that California's gradually recovering economy is unlikely to grow quickly enough over the next 18 months to dig the state out of its continuing fiscal crisis....

Some of the most fiscally conservative advisors to Schwarzenegger say there may not be any other options if Schwarzenegger intends to keep his promise not to raise taxes and to rescind the recent increase in the state's vehicle license fee. "You are probably going to need to have this kind of borrowing package," said Carl DeMaio of the Reason Foundation, which is advising Schwarzenegger on the budget. "Otherwise you are talking about massive cuts in services." Joel Fox, a Schwarzenegger campaign advisor and the former president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn., said: "You're looking at a lesser of two...

In California, Arduin is taking on a state budget shortfall that could easily balloon past $25 billion, thanks to a chronic imbalance between spending and revenues and legally dubious borrowing. Campaign strategist Mike Murphy first suggested that the new administration consider Arduin, whose work he knew from Michigan, where they both had jobs in the early 1990s. Schwarzenegger's transition chief, Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas), was impressed by rave reviews of Arduin, and then by conversations with her. "She likes to say this is the Super Bowl of budgeting, to deal with the kind of challenge California faces," he said....

The state teachers union immediately balked at the Riordan appointment, having wanted the governor-elect to abolish the position of education secretary outright. John Hein, an official with the California Teachers Assn., resigned from his seat on Schwarzenegger's transition team Monday, partly to signal the union's unhappiness over what it portrayed as a snub.... Conservatives were pleased by Schwarzenegger's choice. Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. and one of many advisors to Schwarzenegger on transition issues, called Arduin "no nonsense and willing to make some tough recommendations." As for Riordan, he comes to the job with a power...

Various state and local officials want Schwarzenegger to preserve the car tax rate that tripled under Gov. Gray Davis, contending that the money pays for lifesaving fire and emergency services now being marshaled against the wildfires. They are also hoping Schwarzenegger will raise taxes under a caveat that he carved for himself: Such a move would be considered in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster. "I don't believe that it's in the moral fiber of the Legislature or the governor-elect to compound the tragedy experienced by thousands of Californians by reducing the level of public safety on...

The fires are giving Arnold Schwarzenegger a golden opportunity. They're allowing him to quickly choose the kind of governor he wants to be: practical or political. Flexible or rigid. We're talking taxes. Schwarzenegger can opt to be the "never-say-never" pragmatist on taxes that he was when his gubernatorial campaign began — the candidate who declared, after a ballyhooed meeting with economic advisors: "You can't ever say never [on tax increases] because we could have next year an earthquake. We could have a natural disaster. We could have a terrorist attack or something like that." Or Schwarzenegger can stick with the...

Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock, who refused to withdraw in favor of GOP front-runner Arnold Schwarzenegger during the recall campaign, is now supported for reelection by the governor-elect and is essentially ceded another term by his chief Democratic rival. In a gesture of unity, Schwarzenegger offered last week to speak at a fund-raiser for the veteran Thousand Oaks lawmaker, a spokesman for the new governor said Tuesday. "The election is over, and the time for working together to move California forward is upon us," spokesman H.D. Palmer said. "Throughout the campaign, [Schwarzenegger] said that Sen. McClintock was a bright individual...

The federal government could grant the state more flexibility in how it spends federal funds to provide health care to the poor. It could offer states more federal aid for the cost of jailing illegal immigrants. And it could change funding formulas for federal programs, such as one that gives California less per capita for homeland security than Wyoming. These are expected to be among the ideas presented to Schwarzenegger by California lawmakers at their meeting Wednesday. Schwarzenegger also plans to meet with House and Senate GOP leaders — a possible sign of the new clout the state could gain...

LAS VEGAS — The worlds of bodybuilding and politics met Saturday night as California Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger handed out medals at the Mr. Olympia event, a competition he won seven times. Schwarzenegger's surprise appearance drew cheers and chants of "Arnold!" and "Governator!" from the estimated 6,000 people gathered in the arena at the Mandalay Bay Hotel-Casino. "Finally I feel at home again," a smiling Schwarzenegger told the crowd. "This is a terrific sport, and if it wouldn't have been for bodybuilding I wouldn't have any of this. It's a great foundation." Joe Weider, founder of the competition, said Schwarzenegger proves...

Hundreds of times in the five-year reign of Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, Ray Haynes has stood on the Assembly floor and spoken like the true conservative he is. Assemblyman Haynes has beseeched Democrats who dominate the Legislature to cut spending and free business from government's tentacles. More than 95% of the time, Haynes says, Democrats did the opposite. But as Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger prepares to be sworn in next month as California's governor, Haynes (R-Murietta) is practically giddy, predicting the dynamics of the Legislature are about to change. At last, he and others say, the Legislature will be forced to...

The compromise over Davis' bid to make dozens of last-minute appointments — a common practice by outgoing governors — was welcomed by Democrats who feared being criticized for undercutting the incoming governor. The 17 appointments that Schwarzenegger has agreed to preserve are to seats on the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, state water boards and the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. "I think it's a win-win situation for everybody," said Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles). "It was worked out in a bipartisan fashion." In another conciliatory gesture toward Schwarzenegger, Burton and Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson (D-Culver City) have put their members on...

Still, he insisted that the state would be able to balance its books without raising taxes, a pledge he made repeatedly in his campaign to unseat Gov. Gray Davis. "Oh yes, absolutely," Schwarzenegger said.... Senate Republican Leader Jim Brulte, who played a major role in putting together the $13 billion in borrowing that helped balance the current year's budget, called Angelides' comments about the bonds alarmist. He said state attorneys and outside bond counsel are confident that the financing will survive legal challenges. "If the treasurer had doubts ... he should have voiced them during the budget process," Brulte said.

After his meetings at the Capitol, Schwarzenegger and his transition team chief, Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas), met privately with Republican lawmakers in the offices of the California Chamber of Commerce, where he laid out his positions on appointments, the budget and workers' compensation reform. Sen. Bruce McPherson (R-Santa Cruz) said the Republican lawmakers gave Schwarzenegger a standing ovation when he entered the room. At one point, the governor-elect acknowledged Sen. Tom McClintock, one of his opponents in the recall election, by pointing to the veteran lawmaker and saying, "We'll be working together," according to McPherson. "I'm ecstatic," said Assemblyman...

It's all Arnold all the time around here," California Highway Patrol spokesman Tom Marshall quipped as he issued press credentials and fielded a steady stream of inquiries about the Golden State's celebrity guv. "Everybody wants a look at him," Tony Beard Jr., the state Senate's chief sergeant for 22 years, added during a break between security briefings. "Remember, he is a movie star." Reporters began their day by digging for updates on Schwarzenegger's maiden visit to the statehouse. No detail, it seemed, was too small for the army of journalists charged with trailing the man soon to take over as...

Hard said he had sent a letter of congratulation to Schwarzenegger after the election and had offered to discuss ways to reduce the number of layoffs. To date, the union has not received a response from the governor-elect's transition staff. The association is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, one of the biggest supporters of Davis during the recall campaign. Unlike Davis, who drew his major financial support during the recall from unions, Schwarzenegger refused to accept donations from organized labor, noting that, as governor, he would have to negotiate with unions that represent state workers. Economists who study...

Re "Bush, Schwarzenegger Agree to Agree for Now," Oct. 17: President Bush's California visit with our governor-elect Thursday highlighted the rock-and-a-hard-place situation in which state Democrats find themselves. Arnold Schwarzenegger's landslide election as a moderate Republican demolishes the belief in California as a Democratic monolith with 55 electoral votes for next year's presidential election. It is a political impossibility for a Democrat to win the White House without California's electoral votes. For that reason, state Democratic leaders cannot allow Schwarzenegger to succeed or even begin to turn around the state's fiscal nightmare. Should he succeed, his coattails could possibly wrap...

The spartan tone might seem out of character for a movie star who owns a Gulfstream G4, drives a gargantuan Hummer sport utility vehicle and favors fat cigars. Certainly Schwarzenegger's successful campaign lacked for neither money nor glamour. He crisscrossed the state in private jets and custom-built buses, while appearing at events with a raft of Hollywood celebrities, including Rob Lowe and Dennis Miller. But aides said the governor-elect is intent on avoiding a conspicuous show of glitz at a time when the state faces financial woes.

Under one version, which Assemblyman John Campbell (R-Irvine) has proposed, surplus revenue collected during good economic times would go into a rainy-day fund that could be used to support state programs during downturns. That approach might require changes in the current state requirement that roughly 40% of all new state revenues go to public schools, although Campbell said the cap could be put in place without violating that rule. Campbell, who compared the rainy-day account to programs that withhold money from an employee's paycheck for retirement, said that Schwarzenegger is "in support of the concept" but that details are still...

<p>On the first day of his campaign for governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger did two things that were crucial to his victory Tuesday night. One of them got worldwide attention. The other, while just as important, was known only to a handful of people. The first was his appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.</p>

OAKLAND, Calif. -- They aren't the Buffalo Bills, OK? Not the Minnesota Vikings, or the Toronto Maple Leafs, either. Truth is, the closest you can come is to say the Oakland Athletics are a smaller, cheaper, occasionally cuddlier version of the Atlanta Braves. And as far as that goes, even the Braves won once. But history comes a lot faster than it used to, and many more words will be devoted to the A's latest first-round thoracotomy than to, say, vaudeville, or the Crusades, or the Iron Age. Miguel Tejada, right, and the A's haven't advanced past the Division Series...

FYI, Below is a copy of an e-mail sent to Tom McClintock's people this morning. IMPORTANT, "out-of-the-box" strategy to assure conservative win. Thoughts & help to move it along?... Thank you. joralink@hotmail.com

We're not gonna take it No we ain't gonna take it We're not gonna take it anymore We've got the right to choose And there ain't no way we'll lose it This is our life, this is our song We'll fight the powers that be just Don't pick our destiny cause You don't know us, you don't belong We're not gonna take it No we ain't gonna take it We're not gonna take it anymore Oh you're so condescending Your gall is never ending We don't want nothin’ Not a thing from you Your life is trite and jaded Boring...

Recall High Anxiety By Tammy Bruce FrontPageMagazine.com | September 26, 2003 Earlier this week a disturbing tune had begun to infiltrate my conversations with friends. Both Republicans and Democrats (yes, I have pals who hail from both camps), began to express something which I can only describe as Recall Fatigue. Even though we’re being bombarded with messages by people who do not have our best interests in mind, it’s too important a time to tire. Many of my Democrat friends, most of whom had signed the recall petition and were looking forward to voting “Yes” on the ballot, began to...

CALIFORNIANS FOR SCHWARZENEGGER RADIO:60 "TAX" JON COUPAL: THIS IS JON COUPAL, PRESIDENT OF THE HOWARD JARVIS TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO WE SENT THE POLITICIANS A MESSAGE WITH PROPOSITION 13. THIS YEAR WE CAN SEND ANOTHER MESSAGE BY RECALLING GRAY DAVIS AND REPLACING HIM WITH ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, A STRONG FISCAL CONSERVATIVE. HE WILL REPEAL THE CAR TAX AND STAND AGAINST MORE TAXES. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: I STRONGLY SUPPORT PROPOSITION 13 AND WILL FIGHT ANY PROPOSAL WHICH SEEKS TO CHANGE IT. I AM IN PRINCIPLE AGAINST TAXING, BECAUSE I FEEL THAT THE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA HAVE BEEN PUNISHED ENOUGH. FROM THE TIME...

MONTGOMERY, Ala.--The battle over the Ten Commandments monument I brought into Alabama's Supreme Court is not about a monument and not about politics. (The battle is not even about religion, a term defined by our Founders as "the duty we owe to our creator and the manner for discharging it.") Federal Judge Myron Thompson, who ordered the monument's removal, and I are in perfect agreement on the fact that the issue in this case is: "Can the state acknowledge God?" Those were the precise words used by Judge Thompson in his closing remarks in open court. Today, I argue for...

In both radio appearances, Schwarzenegger portrayed himself as a Reagan disciple. "We have the same philosophy and approach to things," he said at one point. In another line, he said his agenda of keeping taxes low and improving education "is exactly what Ronald Reagan stood for." He even incorporated Reagan into an oft-repeated anecdote about being an immigrant who is grateful to America and California for the opportunities they gave him. "Remember what Ronald Reagan said, 'America is the shining city on the hill,' " said Schwarzenegger. "I have experienced that thing firsthand." Schwarzenegger also endorsed Bush ("I'm all the...

Joe Farah Is Arnold a conservative? Predictably, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is criticizing Arnold Schwarzenegger, who leads the large pack in the recall bid of Gov. Gray Davis. What is Dianne's beef with Arnold? That his movies are too violent, that he glorifies firearms, that he leads impressionable young people to mistaken conclusions about the use of force. Now, I gotta tell you: I am no Arnold Schwarzenegger fan – not politically anyway. I think he has made some fine movies, such as the first "Terminator." But so far, he has not demonstrated any command of the issues that would...

Yet Steve Moore, president of the Club for Growth, said many conservatives were still in a "wait-and-see mode" about Schwarzenegger. "We want to believe in this guy ... [but] he does have this one kind of annoying habit of trying to appease everybody, and I don't know if he can get away with that," Moore said.

You know, Maria and I, we teach our kids basic principles," he said, referring to his wife, Maria Shriver. "We teach them: Don't spend more money than you have.... I promise you that's what I would teach Sacramento." "Sacramento has overspent, overtaxed and over-regulated our businesses," he said.

But Prop. 187 would pass again today, pollsters and strategists say. A 1999 Times poll found that 60% of registered voters would support another Prop. 187. Moreover, 75% of Republicans said they'd back it — a sentiment that's bound to help Schwarzenegger, since the recall election could be tilted to the right by an unusually large turnout of GOP voters. "The worst thing for Democrats to do is rerun Prop. 187," says political analyst Tony Quinn. "It helps Schwarzenegger where he needs the most help: among core Republicans." Beyond that, Democrats shouldn't be demagoguing on illegal immigration — or any...

A key to Arnold Schwarzenegger's prospects in the coming recall election is one that few have taken notice of: His campaign is being run by the most brilliant California Republican campaigner since Ronald Reagan. Former governor Pete Wilson, who is chairman of the Schwarzenegger campaign, shares Arnold's centrist brand of Republican politics, which is the only kind of Republican politics that can win at the state level. Even Ronald Reagan left issues like abortion on the back burner when he led California Republicans to victory. This is a state, it should never be forgotten, that has a million more registered...

Conservatives are upset with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Cal Thomas writes that Arnold "is a social liberal and is bound to disappoint conservative Republicans." George Will states that Schwarzenegger "could hardly be less like Reagan." Mona Charen derides the leading candidate for California governor as a Ross Perot clone. Thomas, Will and Charen are right. But I'm voting for Arnold anyway. Schwarzenegger is the best thing to happen to California politics since Ronald Reagan. Which isn't to say that his positions resemble Reagan's -- they don't. Reagan was staunchly anti-abortion, while Schwarzenegger is pro-choice. Reagan was obviously an opponent of same-sex marriage,...

THE VOICE OF REASON HUGH HEWITT This Conservative Is Voting For Arnold Last week Arnold declared his candidacy for governor of California. I was broadcasting at the time, immediately endorsed him, and immediately began to receive a steady flow of mail from Tom McClintock and Bill Simon fans. Tom and Bill are fine guys, and both have been my guests on countless occasions. I endorsed Bill over Dick Riordan last March and stand by that choice. When it comes to elections, I am a single-issue voter: I support the most conservative candidate who has the most realistic chance of...

The newly emerging Arnold Democrat is as socially liberal to libertarian as the Reagan Democrat was socially conservative. He or she may well be an immigrant or the child of an immigrant. But one thing seems certain: The Arnold Democrat poses every bit as much of a threat to the California Democratic Party as the Reagan Democrat did decades ago.

While many celebrities prefer passive and extremely conservative investments, Schwarzenegger's 100-plus ventures — 19 of which are valued at more than $1 million — include individual stocks, managed stock accounts, private investment funds, venture funds, bonds, a number of direct stakes in operating businesses, and even a high-end mutual fund company overseen by Nobel laureates.

Many Hollywood stars retire in the oasis of Palm Springs, California where they while away their golden years splashing paint on canvases, taking leisurely strolls, playing the piano, and flipping through the pages of magazines. Such is the life of 71-year-old Cheeta, the chimpanzee of Tarzan fame who celebrated his birthday a month ago. "He's the world's oldest chimp and in excellent condition," said Dan Westfall, who cares for Cheeta and several other retired showbiz primates at the Cheeta Primate Foundation in Palm Springs. Cheeta's "world's oldest" title is noted in the Guinness Book of World Records. Chimpanzees in the...