Posted on 10/26/2005 5:10:12 PM PDT by calcowgirl
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sent both his allies and his enemies into a frenzy Tuesday, a day after he vowed to support a union-backed effort that could take corporate money out of California politics.
"If that's the governor's position, we respectfully disagree," said Sara Lee of the California Chamber of Commerce, which has spent more than $1.4 million to support the package of Schwarzenegger-backed initiatives on the Nov. 8 ballot.
"We predict this will be his next broken promise," said Charles Idelson of the California Nurses Association, a leader in the fight against the governor's initiative efforts.
The dispute swirls around Proposition 75, which would force public employee unions to get written permission from members before using their dues for political purposes.
But when the moderator of a televised town hall meeting in Walnut Creek on Monday night suggested that it might not be fair to treat the unions who typically back Democrats differently from Schwarzenegger's own corporate supporters, the governor surprised the crowd by quickly agreeing.
Public corporations should be required to get permission from their shareholders before giving money for political purposes, he said.
"If there's an initiative on the ballot next year, I'll support it," said Schwarzenegger, who had hinted at that support in an interview earlier this year. "Because no one, if it's a corporation or stockholder or union member, no one should have money taken out of their paycheck without permission and have it used for political purposes."
Schwarzenegger's political team scrambled Tuesday to find some wiggle room the governor didn't appear to be asking for Monday night.
"He agrees with it in concept," said Rob Stutzman, a spokesman for Schwarzenegger. "As long as there's no poison pill in an initiative, that's the position he'll take."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Corps are not deducting from investor's dividends, or even reducing dividends to allow for political/lobbying activities!!! The investors are ONLY interested in PROFIT! NOT POLITICS!!!
If stupid Schwartzie thinks he's gonna join up with the G.D. Commonistas in the legislature to force such an exercise in futility on CA corporations, I'm gonna go down to that Crapitol on a regular basis and FReep his A$$ off!!!
Bet on it!!!
Did you guys see this here insanity that bubbled up and off the liberal lips of our pissant Globunator??? Holy Toledo!!! (America's only holy city)
Schwarzenegger supports ‘shareholder protection’ to limit corporate clout
By Anthony York
September 22nd, 2005)Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says that he would support a ban on corporations using shareholder money for political purposes without the expressed written consent of company shareholders.
Schwarzenegger expressed his support for the idea Tuesday evening in an interview with Capitol Weekly.
The ban on such use of corporate dollars is similar to the governor’s call to stop the use of public employee union dues without written permission from union members. That measure, Proposition 75, was endorsed by the governor at the Republican state party convention this weekend, and will be on the special election ballot in November.
"It’s not right to force people to do that," he said when asked about the use of corporate money for political purposes without consent. "What’s good for the goose is good for the gander ... I support anything [that prohibits political spending] where people are not asked. People must be asked."
Supporters of the idea have already submitted a measure that would place those restrictions on corporate political activity to the attorney general’s office. The measure prohibits corporations from "making political contributions or expenditures for political activities except with shareholders’ prior informed consent by means of majority vote and reports to shareholders." The measure needs 373,000 signatures by the end of the year to qualify for the June 2006 ballot.
But the governor said he was not endorsing a specific proposal. "It’s all hypothetical, but I’m all for it across the board," he said.
First comes the bold announcement by the "Governator" quickly followed by the "Equivocator" back down.
And we're supposed to trust him to make cuts under Prop. 76 rather than increase borrowing or raise taxes?
I don't think so.
It's still NO on Prop. 76.
Well, do you like that after indicating you don't care for alla his developer buddies and such bein his very special interest???
Because i'm too numb to cry...
Hell NO, I don't like it! My opposition is not to honest run businesses, SW. If shareholders don't like the way a company is run, they can vote out the directors or put their money someplace else. Please do not think I am anti-capitalist. I am anti-socialism and anti-corruption (those are the folks I was referring to in my post yesterday--businesses that thrive on taxpayer money through *special* social programs and favors from corrupt politicians).
As I said yesterday, Arnie is a dork. You never know what will roll off his lips.
That's two for two. First the incipent Hispanic base that the party desperately needs and now their large donors.
Should be and interesting election cycle next year.
That's the difference
(snip)
"[W]hen the moderator of a televised town hall meeting in Walnut Creek ... suggested that it might not be fair to treat the unions who typically back Democrats differently from Schwarzenegger’s own corporate supporters, the governor surprised the crowd by quickly agreeing," reported the Oct. 26 San Francisco Chronicle. "Public corporations should be required to get permission from their shareholders before giving money for political purposes, he said."
"If there’s an initiative on the ballot next year, I’ll support it," the paper quoted the governor. "Because no one, if it’s a corporation or stockholder or union member, no one should have money taken out of their paycheck without permission and have it used for political purposes."
(snip)
But the governor – and others – are confusing two things. First, Prop. 75 concerns only public employee union members, not private union members who work for corporations. The private-sector unions still can, if they want to, automatically deduct dues for political activity.
Second, the voters of California are, in effect, the employers of public-employee union members. If Prop. 75 passes, the people – the employers – simply will be changing the terms of employment of their employees, mandating that the employees must give individual approval for such automatic deductions. The employees remain free, under our First Amendment protections of speech and association, to contribute their own money to public-employee unions for political activities.
Third, shareholders don’t get a "paycheck," to use his word, but own the corporation that is making political contributions. If they don’t like how the money is being spent, they can vote in shareholder meetings to change the policy. And if they fail to do that by not convincing a majority of shareholders to take up their position, they can sell their stock and buy shares in another corporation more to their liking, or put the money in a bank.
(snip)
Finally, if such a law or initiative concerning shareholders were passed in California, it would encourage companies here to move to another state without such a silly law, taking jobs and tax payments with them, making California’s stubborn budget problems even worse.
Most importantly, stockholders and investors can come and go as they please and invest in a different corporation -- especially if the investor doesn't like the corporations political donations. The same can't be said of unions.
I hope the idiot unions spend a bazillion dollars trying and get something like that passed. I'd laugh my a** off.
They're near bancruptcy now because of their unbelievable expenditures on behalf of the rats. If they lose this election they will be greatly damaged.
Good. Here's hoping for victory.
My bet is that they already have a plan on how to launder the money.
Arnold's not real bright.
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