Posted on 01/07/2005 8:36:19 AM PST by NormsRevenge
After a year of getting his footing in Sacramento, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger came out fighting in his second State of the State address Wednesday night. He threw down the gauntlet to the Legislature and announced he was prepared to make good on the promise of the 2003 recall election to shake things up in state government. His challenge: Help me completely reform state government and dismantle the shameful political system that has failed the people -- or prepare for the biggest political fight in years.
"This is a time for choosing," the Republican governor told the overwhelmingly Democratic Legislature. And if they don't help to reform the government, he warned, the people will rise up and do it themselves "and I will fight with them."
It was the moment that the people of California have been waiting for since the popular actor-turned-governor won a landslide victory in the historic October 2003 election that removed Gray Davis from office.
Schwarzenegger didn't win just because of his fame and charisma. He won because he persuaded the majority of voters that he would stand up for them and make sure that state government was restored to the people, to serve them and not special interests.
Stymied in his first year by the soaring budget deficit and resistance to change in the Legislature, the governor's brash talk was beginning to seem like so much bluster. He threatened to "blow up boxes" but mostly the public got a lot of hot air. But in Wednesday's speech, Schwarzenegger made it clear that his administration has spent the past few months gearing up for war over the most extraordinary restructuring of state government ever proposed in California.
Schwarzenegger called for an eight-week special session of the Legislature to deal with a huge agenda: Reform of the budget process to bring spending in line with revenue, bringing the skyrocketing cost of public-employee pensions in line with reality, reforming education by giving teachers merit pay, taking political redistricting out of the hands of the politicians.
By drawing the line in the sand, Schwarzenegger has put his credibility on the line. He's gambling it all on this challenge to Democrats to work with him on these critical issues, or he will take his case to voters in a special election in the summer.
Democrats are already preparing their own initiatives to take to voters to counter the governor's reform package. So the odds are that Californians will get an electoral battle that makes the fight over Proposition 13 look like a tea party.
For the good of the people, we hope the legislators make the right choice. If not, it will be up to the people to do the right thing for California.
No gamble at all. Arnold's going to go for the gusto.
If it costs him the next election, so what? He doesn't need the power trip, ego boost, kickbacks, children's scholarships and graft of 95% of the politicians in the country
PROPOSE AND BACK A PROPOSITION REVERTING BACK TO A PART-TIME LEGISLATURE.
I bet a lot of Californians would like to spend less on their bloated salaries and perks.
And when he's done with the legislature he can have Boxer's seat in the Senate.
You've lost touch with reality. Arnold lives for grandstanding and adulation.
As this article points out, he's already backed down once. That was fatal. He talks big, but will do nothing, and the Democrats already know it.
I would like to hear some of that type talk here in New York.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.