California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, celebrates with State Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks in Irwindale, Calif., during his special election campaign bus tour of southern California, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2005.
Posted on 11/13/2005 8:58:48 AM PST by Amerigomag
Two years ago, as bodybuilder-turned-actor Arnold Schwarzenegger began his governorship and promised "action, action, action" on the state's pressing issues.
The Legislature, meanwhile, had demonstrated that it was the immovable object. It had shunned engagement with the issues, made huge mistakes when it deigned to do anything, wasted its time and our money on trivial favors to special interests, and in general abdicated its responsibilities.
Schwarzenegger's first contacts with the Legislature were inconclusive. He moved lawmakers slightly, while they slowed his momentum markedly. He then turned around and put himself on a direct collision course with a series of ballot measures he dubbed "year of reform." Last week, the big bang happened.
Result: The unstoppable force was destroyed, and the immovable object didn't budge a millimeter as all four of his measures were trounced at the polls after a bruising, high-dollar campaign that drove his once-soaring popularity down to Davis-like levels. Two days after the election, Schwarzenegger, openly rueful that he had embarked on his crusade, surrendered, implicitly promising not to challenge the status quo again if triumphant lawmakers would give him a few crumbs.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Don't back a foreign mercenary in a California shootout and for heaven sakes, once you've tossed a politico out of your party for his destructive policies, don't jump back on his stalking horse just because the horse won a few races on the county fair circuit.
The lesson is that it's good politics to waste money in CA, to give generous pensions to state employees, and to let the unions drive the school system into the mud.
Arnold is toast! Watch what is going to happen with taxes. Even the future of prop 13 will be on the table!
I don't think a man like Arnold understood the degree of entitlement demanded by the socialist parasites. His life story is quite the opposite of theirs.
As a life-long resident of CA, I can say that California's problems are the fault of the mindless, ignorant and selfish voting public. California was once a thriving, top-notch example of a well-managed state, thriving economically and financially. I recall back in the early seventies, the state legislature arguing with the governor (both conservative OF COURSE!) over how they were going to return BILLIONS IN EXCESS REVENUE TO THE PUBLIC!!!
Then the moron voting public started voting in liberals. Once they did, it was all over. State debt, blind spending for power and supporting corruption, the destruction of the nation's model K-12 education system (now at the nation's bottom in ratings) -- all from the LIBERAL MIDAS TOUCH.
I had hoped the mindless voters would have learned --- but no. It is more important to NOT KNOW your daughter is getting an abortion, when the socialist school system does.
Liberal insanity continues to reign in the WORLD'S LARGEST OUTDOOR INSANE ASYLUM...
All the voted-down propositions prove is the strength of the opposition in CA. When they outspend you 3 to 1 in anti-prop, this is what happens. Arnold needs to do this again and get support from his OWN party to promote it. All the CA Reps. should be hanging their heads in shame, they're no better than the CA Democrats now.
Name one other CA Republican who would have had the nerve to do this, and don't say Pete Wilson.
The lesson is: when conservatives stay home, the cut off their noses to spite their face and the Dems WIN.
Nobody could have done better than Arnold. He had the courage to stand up to the Dem Legislature and the Unions and the fine conservatives and Republicans pulled the rug out from under him, by staying home or even by voting with the Democrats helping the Dem and union agenda.
THAT's the lesson.
You are right. Now that they defeated Arnold's propositions for reform without tax increases, the Legislature will be emboldened and pass all kinds of tax increases and Arnold won't be able to stop them.
I hope the so-called conservatives who helped the Dems win, will be happy, and of course they will, because the Dems won, which is what they wanted in the first place.
Even the author of the article mentions both the future tax increases, as the only solution and that Arnold was attacked from both the left and the right.
===
"Short of radical restructuring, we could begin to make government work better by increasing fees and taxes where warranted..."
"But any challenge to the status quo, as Schwarzenegger learned, draws fiercely implacable opposition. Those on the liberal left and the conservative right would feel threatened. And that's why, with Schwarzenegger now emasculated, it won't happen."
Or Tom McClintock
And the exodus continues. Nissan announced last week they are moving their North America HQ out of Kollyforneah. In behind the scenes negotiations, Nissan told Ahnold's people Calif is “hostile to business” (doh!) and “it can't be fixed". So long to 1,300 well-paying jobs.
We have reached critical mass where public employees and their well-funded unions--complicit with a sycophantic legislature--can pretty much run things. Best we can hope for is gridlock, but who would want that job. “Vote for me, and I’ll veto all their craziness. Together, we can at least slow down our slide into socialist darkness”. What a campaign theme.
"Name one other CA Republican who would have had the nerve to do this, "
Exactly. Arnold dare to stand up to the Dem establishment. NO other Republican would have dared to do this, for sure.
I hope Arnold doesn't give up on CA, although you could hardly blame him, if he did. Then we can have Angelides as governor for two terms, and CA will indeed be turned into a socialist third world country.
Arnold is not dead or dying, he will be back!
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, celebrates with State Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks in Irwindale, Calif., during his special election campaign bus tour of southern California, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2005.
Well at least Tom got that one right. Too bad he's been too contentious up until now though.
"I WILL BE BACK. Be afraid, be very afraid, girlie-man."
I love how this loss that was a win is being spun by FR pundits.
Blame the conservatives, even the ones that did vote.
I wonder what kind of budgets Tom would have submitted his first 2 years?
We'll never know now, will we?
Some Lippizaner Trojan Horse last minute entry into the 2003 California Classic made sure of that.
What did that BiPartisan parlay ticket pay off on that winner anyway?
Oh, that's right , it hasn't, huh?
Better late, than never -- some around here still don't get it, that Arnold is our ONLY hope to stop the Dem machine. This election demonstrated the power of the unions and the hold of the Dems on CA and we must break that.
Or Tom McClintock
I second, Tom McClintoc.
And we will know him by his limp.
And if wishes were horses, begger would ride.
The point is that Tom McClintock worked with Arnold to campaign for the passing of the propositions, and all those who clained to have supported McClintock in the recall election and now claim to support him again, were voting AGAINST the very propositions McClintock endorsed, because he knew they are necessary for the state.
Basically supporting McClintock during the recall helped the Dems by splitting the Republican vote. Now, by voting against McClintock, it helped the Dems.
The only thing consistent in the actions of the so-called conservatives, is their staunch support FOR THE DEMOCRTATS. Sometimes, that takes the guise of supporting a conservative candidate, sometimes it takes the guise of claiming that even the conservative candidate they previously supported is not conservative enough. But they always come down on the side, where their actions HELP THE DEMOCRATS.
Someone is still yet to explain to me what is conservative about always voting and agitating others to VOTE in a way which HELPS THE DEMOCRATS.
'doodlelady' coined a great acronym, appropriate for these people, they are a bunch of DICC-s (Democrats in Conservative Clothing). ;)
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