CA: Schwarzenegger says he'll take on special interests in coming year

SFgate.com ^ | 10/08/04 | John Hubbell -SF Chronicle

[NormsRevenge]

A year to the day after voters swept him into office and upended California's power structure, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hinted Thursday that he would soon place broad political reform at the center of his agenda and work to "make sure that the politicians cannot be bought by special interests."

The brief remarks by Schwarzenegger, which came at a San Jose campaign event to oppose November ballot initiatives on Indian gaming, suddenly revived the populist themes he used to unseat Gov. Gray Davis. But the comments also come as public interest groups and political opponents say Schwarzenegger embodies the very ills he said he came to Sacramento to cure.

"The key thing is that we make sure that the politicians cannot be bought by special interests -- we see it all the time," Schwarzenegger told a select group of 175 Silicon Valley civic and business leaders during the brief forum he led ...

--snip--

The governor said former San Jose Mayor Tom McEnery, who introduced him to the group, "is going to help me to reform government" and work "to make sure the fund-raising policies that we talked about many times" are changed. He did not elaborate and did not answer questions from reporters as he left.

McEnery, a Democrat who led San Jose from 1983 to 1990 and has long been interested in governmental reform, has informally advised Schwarzenegger on the issue from time to time. In an interview, he touched on the frustrations repeatedly voiced by Schwarzenegger on the climate of special-interest politics in Sacramento -- and the notion that the Legislature has become balkanized to extremes because of the drawing of political boundaries. Addressing such issues, McEnery said, "is going to be a very important part of what he does in the second year."

[NormsRevenge]

Apologies to the creators of Annie..

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Tomorrow! Tomorrow!

I'll take on special interests Tomorrrrowww,,

Tomorrow is just a campaign fund-raiser AAAAwaaaayyyyyy!!!

[kellynla]

yea, well we won't be hold our breaths waiting for RINOld to "take on the special interests" now will we...

kind of like "I'll eliminate state programs, cut spending, cut taxes and balance the budget in 2007"...
"oops I won't be here in 2007" LMAO

[Carry_Okie]

Now that's "special." Good thing he isn't taking on specious interests.

OK Arnold, please remind us what "special interests" means, this time. You might want to define the terms and conditions on that definition as well, with references to original sources please.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Whose special interests?

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Representative gov't is supposed to be about competing interests. No one is buying anyone. Everyone is just trying to get someone who ALREADY agrees with them elected. That's the nature of a democratic republic. You know, "clashing factions." Does anyone really believe (or understand) our American government anymore? If they do not want clashing factions then maybe they should move to a country with a totalitarian government.

If representatives do not represent the special interests of the majority of voters who elected them, then what's the point of electing them anyway? It's already illegal to buy a representative. Using money to buy speech that can persuade (not coerce) voteres is not the same as BUYING a representative. If anything, the fault is with poorly educated of the voters. Let the voter beware.

Of course, in California, the major special interest buying legislation would be the gay lobby, but Gov. Arnold supports their special interests. I'd love to shut them down, but that would be unAmerican. They should be shut down by the voters electing new representatvies. Balancing special interests happens from the bottom up, not the top down.