State Budget Briefing Is Grim (Arnold Gets Briefed)

LA Times ^ | October 24, 2003 | LA Slimes Writers

[4MORE-YEARS]

SACRAMENTO — Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger got a grim briefing on California's budget Thursday, and emerged appearing sobered and calling the state's financial condition "disastrous."

On his second day of meetings with state officials, the incoming governor met with state Treasurer Phil Angelides for a 35-minute morning tutorial. He said afterward that he was worried about the precarious status of billions of dollars worth of bonds used to balance this year's budget. Angelides warned that the bonds are vulnerable to a legal challenge

The governor-elect, whose usual ebullience was dampened after the meeting, said, "The problem was created over the last five years, and so you can't expect that — even though I've played very, very heroic characters in the movies, but you can't expect me to walk into his office and all of a sudden come out with the answers."

[4MORE-YEARS]

As a Californian, I was a supporter of Arnold during the recall but it is a bit disconcerting to hear him talk like this after all his bravado about being able to solve California's huge problems "just like this" with audits and some common sense. Granted that all politicians try to simplify their message but I am afraid he is going to let down alot of his voters who wanted badly to believe that the problem were as straight forward as he portrayed them.

[Rudder]

...you can't expect me to walk into his office and all of a sudden come out with the answers.

Best thing Arnold could've said---sounds perfectly realistic.

[ClintonBeGone]

I agree. He must lower the expectations. And while he's at it, I think he needs to find a way to jail Gray Davis for what he's done.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Arnie would impress me with this: every government employee takes an immediate 10% pay cut; those earning above $50,000 annually are cut 20%; those above $75,000 are cut 30%; those above $100,000 40%; above $150,000, 50%. That's quite progressive, don't you think? Oh, and every third employee is laid off.

It wouldn't solve the budget, but it sure wouldn't hurt as a good first step.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Then second, lay off enough school teachers to get class sizes back above 30. And my wife is a school marm!

[trebb]

I was a supporter of Arnold during the recall but it is a bit disconcerting to hear him talk like this after all his bravado about being able to solve California's huge problems "just like this" with audits and some common sense.

If anything, this ought to pee you off even more about Davis and the Democrats running the show and make you grateful to have Arnie speaking the truth. California tried to give out so much free "milk" that it milked the cow to death and the trend has to be turned around, but it will be painful and anger a lot of folks who are used to clamoring for handouts. It should also sober up a lot of the Californians who think all the nice social programs are a good thing, but don't bother to take the time to actually ponder the cost of such things.

[BillyBoy]

Don't worry, the new Kennedy adminstration won't raise taxes unless there's an "emergancy" in California. And we of course things are just rosy in the state right now. Blues Skies ahead...

[Cicero]

It's a good start. Lower expectations and finally tell people how bad it is. People really know it, but Gray Davis never admitted it, the legislature never admitted it, and the media never admitted it.

Even if he makes harsh cuts, it will indeed probably take years to straighten out this mess.

[LaraCroft]

Anyone with half a brain, anyone who didn't work for the LA Times, anyone who has ever balanced a checkbook knew that California's problems coudn't be solved "just like that" and I don't recall Arnold ever saying that it could.

Thank God we are on the right track now, and not just doing more of the same thing that got us into this mess in the first place.

I just wish the people would wake up and realize that the democrats can't run CA, and they can't run the Country. Except into the ground.

[Reagan Man]

I didn't support Arnold, but since he won the election, I think he deserves a fair opportunity to impliment his agenda for California. After all, he's not even taken the oath of office yet. Let's not jump to any conclusions.

[teletech]

Watch out Gov elect Schwarzenegger! Nancy Peelousey will accuse you of instilling fear in people that are just trying to make a living.

[jagrmeister]

Arnold has always said that the problems in Sacramento were not created in a day and won't be solved overnight. Perhaps you're let down, but the Arnold supporters I've talked to are very realistic about how long it will take to clean up Davis's mess.

[Bommer]

Lay off 40% of the Govt. workforce Davis hired, cut off all benefits to non-Americans and tax all non-Americans at twice the rate of Americans! That would take care of their illegal alien problem!

[DoctorZIn]

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[pogo101]

Lay off 40% of the Govt. workforce Davis hired

Actually, I've said that a good approach for Arnold would include a proposed 18% cut in state programs. If he gets it, great ... and, in the more likely event that he'll have to drastically "reduce the reduction" to, say, 5%, he can point out that future budget problems would have been lessened had he gotten the 18% cut he'd wanted.