Posted on 09/02/2005 2:59:40 PM PDT by calcowgirl
SACRAMENTO -- Facing widespread opposition to his special election, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Friday that if voters reject a proposed spending restraint on the November ballot, he might be forced to raise taxes.
Schwarzenegger previewed a campaign theme in a morning radio interview, predicting that new taxes might be the only alternative if voters reject Proposition 76, the "Live Within Our Means" act.
Asked on Sacramento station KTKZ-1380 AM what he might do to avert future budget deficits if the spending control is defeated, Schwarzenegger said:
"Then we have to look at raising taxes, because this is the only option we have, in order to create the money. And this is why I tell people vote yes on Proposition 76 and make sure that we do everything that we can to pass this proposition so that we force our legislators once and for all to live within their means and not to continue spending money and to keep making promises to people that they can't keep."
Schwarzenegger's comments came amid a new statewide poll showing little appetite for the Nov. 8 special election that he depicts as central to his "year of reform" agenda.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
he's gotta have a plan (which isn't apparent to us or the legislature)
If he doesn't, it'll all be a terrible waste of time.
Spend Spend Spend
Borrow Borrow Borrow
Spend Spend Spend
Too bad conservatives aren't considered special interests these days..
Thanks for posting the thread.
>>Thanks for posting the thread.
I'm practicing. Ahoy!
>>I concur. The legislature holds all the power in the state...
The governor proposes the budget.
The governor has VETO power.
The legislature does not hold ALL the power.
The governor has power, but has failed to use it effectively.
Strange words coming from a de-fanged frog-in-disguise, living on an island full of millitant islamic terrorists, don't you think?
Oh come on! I've been watching Arnold's career for nearly thirty years. If he is up to something, it's no good for anything of which you would approve.
If he doesn't, it'll all be a terrible waste of time.
Well start getting used to it because the people behind Arnold are not your friends.
What about prop 76 forces the legislature to "live within it's means?" - All I can see that it does is give them a bigger credit card.
What about the people behind Tom? Are you surprised at his support of 76?
There he goes. Buh-bye, Arnold.
His support is statewide, mostly small business, not the global corporate socialists behind Schwarzenegger.
Are you surprised at his support of 76?
A bit, but I understand it. He felt that returning the discretion to the governor to make mid-term reductions plus the scrapping of fixed spending formulae was worth the cost of the borrowing. I may not prefer that choice, but it's a legitimate judgement call.
Oh, ja! Trrrry it. You von't be BACK!!!!
Possibly, I wouldn't know. I'm American, but thanks for the assumption. Arrogance becomes you.
Remember ,,
"It's not my job to build the Republican Party in California."
He said it some time back and he is well on his way to finishing off a party that is moribund of leadership and has been for years.
In a strange way, he very well may deserve kudos for that in the end.
Let the aRnoids moderate that one at the 19th Hole. :-)
"Is that a threat? I do believe he is trying to blackmail us."
What part of "Live Within Our Means" don't you like?
Similarly, Arnold apparently believes it is not his job to do what he promised pre-election: stop the bleeding, stop the borrowing, deep cuts in the state payroll; and "destroying the boxes" to downsize state government. How much of that has Gov. Big Mouth actually accomplished?
If you checked the box marked Zero, you win.
It doesn't ... nor should it.
Under our system the legislature has no mandate or responsibility to live within it's means. That responsibility lies with two classes. The California Executive and the electorate. The electorate did their part. They removed an executive who wouldn't. Unfortunately the electorate was then deceived into believing, by a group of savvy businessmen and a political party desperate for power, that Schwarzenegger was a fiscal conservative and would force the legislature to live within it's means.
The sad result is that California's fringe left legislature is now being enabled by a fiscal liberal. Schwarzenegger is providing the money. If he can't borrow it (Prop 76) he's threatening to raise taxes in an attempt to coerce the approval for borrowing. I am dead certain that if Prop 76 fails Schwarzenegger will cooperate with the legislature to raise taxes ...again and again.
The legislature and Schwarzenegger's entourage should be treated as children. They are blameless. Children will be children. Liberals will be liberals.
The adults hold the responsibility for this fiasco. The California Republican Party should have been the adults and said "No". But, desperate for power, they didn't.
What could the Republican Party do to make amends? For starters they could publicly pressure Schwarzenegger to veto the excessive spending. That simple veto would return some power to the Republican minority in both houses of the legislature. It may not stop the spending but the ensuing legislative cat fight would shine a bright light on the big spenders. A bright light that an already irritated electorate might use as ammunition to remove or pressure a fringe liberal.
Earlier I replied to a post of yours...
"Is that a threat? I do believe he is trying to blackmail us."
What part of "Live Within Our Means" don't you like?"
...after reading additional posts I take back my comment - muscle seems to be in his head where there is supposed to be brain tissue...
He's dead in the water politically in this state. Don't mean to sound like Pauline Kael, but no one I know would ever vote for him again, and I don't know that many Democrats. (I have to laugh when I think how a year or so ago, he was publicly excited over that dumb@$$ proposed amendment to rescind the Constitutional requirement that the Presidency be held only by a native-born citizen---presumably so his Governorship of California would just be a stepping-stone to "the Big Enchilada").
An action-packed disappointment, if there ever was one....
>>I am dead certain that if Prop 76 fails Schwarzenegger will cooperate with the legislature to raise taxes ...again and again
I believe you are right. So we are being given two choices:
--Vote for borrowing or vote for raising taxes.
This is truly ugly.
I don't have to live in California...I love the area. Nevada is looking better and better and as a small business owner about 7 other jobs go with me.
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.