CA: Governor struggles with state's realities

SFGate.com ^ | 11/23/03 | Robert Salladay - SF Chronicle

[NormsRevenge]

Sacramento -- On the door leading to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's private offices, there is a large plaque dedicated to former Gov. Edmund G. "Pat" Brown. At eye level to all who enter, there is another name in equally large type: Gray Davis, who dedicated the lobby area to Brown and literally left his mark on Schwarzenegger's door on the way out.

[NormsRevenge]

.

[Steely Tom]

How come Doofus never had to "Struggle With The States Realities?"

(steely)

[ClintonBeGone]

But then he proposed the $15 billion refinancing bond measure, adding hundreds of millions of dollars in interest payments more than the financing package put together by Davis and the Democratic Legislature. And he said taxes might have to be raised if the $15 billion bond isn't approved.

Nothing wrong with consolidating your debt, provided you don't spend unwisely the new found cash flow.

[ChemistCat]

I believe that taking care of the illegals-on-the-dole problem would fix almost everything in one stroke. This problem penetrates literally every subbudget's bottom line. They need to get them out of the free healthcare, out of the free education, even out of the prisons, and send them back where they came from, en-masse.

California needs federal help to do this--the anchor baby thing has GOT to be fixed. It was not an inappropriate way to make new citizens when our country had elbow room. We're out of it now.

[Democratshavenobrains]

If a Democrat was willing to forgoe a 175,000 a year salary, the press would be calling him Gahndi.

[LaraCroft]

"Schwarzenegger is giving the Legislature until Dec. 5 to place two measures on the March ballot -- a deficit bond to refinance old debt and a spending cap on government expenses. While he's inclined to help him, Senate leader John Burton, D-San Francisco, said that just because Schwarzenegger "says it, doesn't make it so." "

I wonder what it is like to be Burton and be a washed up loser that no one has ever heard of or cares about? Honestly, I think the reason he is making such a stink about Arnold is to try to get his name in the papers, since anything he says won't be printed unless it has Arnolds name in it.

Regardless, he better get off his high horse and realize that Arnold is the Governor and he better work with him or face recall, as the call has already gone out.

[Amerigomag]

I wonder what it is like to be Burton and be a washed up loser that no one has ever heard of or cares about

I suggest you touch bases with reality.

Washed up in the sense of unelectable to his presnt position, Yes. But do to term limits, not a lack of constituant popularity.

Cares about? When San Franciso lost it's statewide clout (Willie Brown forced for from office) Burton became the Bay area's darling. Even the recall focus on McClintock did not diminish Burton's public profile. Just pick up any major news paper in California and take a casual count of the mention of his name.

Rather than unrealistically dispariging Burton, you would be better served to devine a system to relieve San Francisco of some of it's political clout. Term limits have been effective but Baghdad by the Bay currently controls the leadership in California Senate and is about to reelect a US Senator.

[Cobra64]

I agree. What threw me was state-funded dog food for seeing-eye guide dogs

No wonder the state is so flippin screwed up. Who dreams up these ideas?

[LaraCroft]

Want to place a small wager on Burtons future political campaigns?

He is a local boy, big fish, very small pond, no future.

Who really cares about him and his ideas,, we'll never hear about him after November.

[William Tell]

From the article: "And he said taxes might have to be raised if the $15 billion bond isn't approved. "

Perhaps if some of those who voted for Arnold realized that failing to pass a $15 billion dollar deficit bond issue constituted the "emergency" that would justify tax raises, they might not have voted for him.

[Amerigomag]

Want to place a small wager on Burtons future political campaigns?

Not on your life but that wasn't the implication of your quoted rant.

He is a local boy, big fish, very small pond, no future.

The small pond to which you refer is California, over which he can exhibit substantial control until January 2005.

Who really cares about him and his ideas

Right now and for the next twelve months almost everyone involved in California politics. Burton is as pivitol to the short term outcome of Califronia's politcal direction as is Schwarzenegger.

If you feel Burton can be marginalized with a simple statement I again ask you to touch base with reality.

[concentric circles]

Nothing wrong with consolidating your debt...

The problem here is that this debt represents the bad fruit that led to the recall of the governor.

The democratic party's approach to dealing with the enormous deficit they ran up was to sell bonds so they wouldn't have to cut any of the spending that resulted in the problem in the first place.

The courts have declared this effort illegal. We have to start over. Now you tell me, should the state government take the approach that led to a governor's recall or should it take a responsible course that eliminates the spending that got us in trouble in the first place.

To go ahead with financing the debt only endorses the appalling betrayal of public trust that swept through Sacramento with the democrats holding power in both the legislative and the executive branches.

Financing this debt was Davis's idea. We got rid of Davis. Now we need to get rid of his ideas.

Contract services out to the private sector. Eliminate overlapping agencies and programs. Open the education and social service budgets to examination and trimming. Hint: class size reduction was labeled ineffective by a Rand study; it cost us $1.7 billion this year.

[ClintonBeGone]

The problem here is that this debt represents the bad fruit that led to the recall of the governor. . . . The courts have declared this effort illegal.

I agree with the first part of your statement, I disagree with the second. I don't believe the courts have yet ruled on that. Doesn't the new governor have an obligation to mitigate the damage done by Davis and start anew?

[goldstategop]

Offer a new approach: get the state government out of functions that should and can be handled better by the federal government, local governments, and the private sector. Junk Prop. 98 and have education spending allocated according to true need not to a one size fits all rigid formula. Do all that and we can begin to bring California back to a state of rationality. For that to happen Arnold needs to level with the voters and remind them there's no such thing a free lunch.

[concentric circles]

There were two bond issues. One has been declared illegal. The second has not been decided yet. There is no reason to believe it will not meet the same fate.

Sacramento Bee: "...The state plans to sell a $1.9 billion bond to cover its payments to the state retirement system. Another $10.7 billion bond would retire the deficit remaining from the 2002-03 fiscal year. Both would be paid off over five years."

"Both bonds have been challenged in court by groups that argue that they violate the state constitution's prohibition against year-to-year borrowing of more than $300,000 without a vote of the people. Last month, a Superior Court judge in Sacramento sided with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and invalidated the pension bond sale..."

The new governor wants to follow in the footsteps of the recalled governor. Indeed, he has an obligation to mitigate the damage done by Davis.

[tubebender]

we'll never hear about him after November.

There are any number of races he can enter from Mayor of SF to US Rep to US Senate and any other number of public troughs for Boss Hogg to stagger up to...

[tubebender]

Did you see Dan Walters column on Arnold today in the Sac Bee...

[NormsRevenge]

Yeah. I posted it this morning.

Coming Soon ... 2004 ... The Year of the mediaRats